#fake boyfriend/fiancé trope

[melaniem54]

Review: The Husband Hoax (Accidental Love Book 1) by Saxon James

Rating: 5🌈 I’m absolutely besotted with the characters of Saxon James’ new series, Accidental Love. A group of LGBTGIA men who’ve formed a found family based on a shared history of familial rejection due to their sexuality and adolescent trauma. They live together in a gorgeous restored Victorian called Big Boned Bertha. An elderly fabulous next door neighbor adopts “Bertha’s Boys”, becomes…

[fluentmoviequoter]

We're Getting Married Now?

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!LAPD!reader

Summary: When Tim finds out you need a fake boyfriend to take to your cousin's wedding, he steps up and offers to go with you. After a night in his arms, you learn that his "boyfriend act" isn't just an act.

Warnings: I referenced a few lines from The Rookie (no spoilers though), a few vague mentions of insecurities and rude family members (they apologize). lots and lots of fluff!! one bed trope?

Word Count: 4.3k+ words

Picture from Pinterest

Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

When your phone rings on the way to work, you don’t expect to see your aunt’s name on the caller ID. 

“Hello?” you greet. 

“Hey, sweetheart. I was going through the seating chart for your cousin’s wedding and seemed to have misplaced your RSVP,” she explains. 

“I, uh, I didn’t get an invite. She’s getting married?”

“Of course. You lot aren’t getting any younger, as I’m sure you know, and when she met her fiancé, well, I think we all knew. Anyway, you say you didn’t get an invite? Must’ve gotten lost in the mail, those incompetent kids aren’t as reliable as they used to be. I suppose that explains your lack of congratulations, though, which I’m sure everyone will be relieved to hear.”

“I bet,” you mumble before asking, “So what do you need from me? Sorry to interrupt, but I’m nearly to work.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I suppose the wedding planning is making me a touch scatter brained. All I need from you is a confirmation that you are attending. It’s at her fiancé’s family orchard, I’ll send you the address. Everyone is coming out Friday evening and the wedding is Sunday afternoon.”

“Uh, yeah, I have this weekend off. I may be a bit later on Friday, but I’ll be there.”

“And I’ll assume you’re still single, so no plus one. Although, sweetie, you really shouldn’t let this discourage you. I’m sure you have plenty going for you and the right man is out there somewhere,” she says, lowering her voice as pity laces every word. 

“Actually, I’ll be bringing my boyfriend. If there’s room for one more, of course.”

The words come out before you can stop them, and after you slam your gear shift up and set your brake, you grip your steering wheel with both hands. 

“Boyfriend? Well, good for you, sweetheart, I didn’t want to seem insensitive before, but your clock is ticking! I will put you down for two then. Oh, one more thing-“

“I’m actually at work and can’t be late. I’ll see you Friday,” you rush out before ending the call. 

Hitting the back of your head against the headrest, you wonder who you can ask on such short notice. Getting a fake boyfriend is entirely avoidable, of course. You’d have to tell another lie about him being sick or dumping you or call your aunt and explain that her constant jabs at your lacking love life pushed you to speak without thinking. 

“That would go well,” you murmur as you gather the strength to get out of your car. 

She’d probably say something like, “Well then he just wasn’t the one,” before telling everyone that you did something to get dumped, or she’d remind you that you’re running out of time, it’s practically too late, so you should stop trying. You don’t mind being single, but she rips you apart, finding a way to make it your fault for being too busy with work, unwilling to compromise, or “looking too chubby in red.” (Her words.)

As you walk into the station and change into your uniform, you are struck with the perfect idea. 

“Nolan!” you call, rushing to his side before he can enter roll call. “I need a favor.”

“Uh, yeah, I’ll do what I can,” he answers kindly. 

“Long story short I need a fake boyfriend to go to my cousin’s wedding or my aunt will expose me as a dirty rotten liar who can’t get a boyfriend.”

“Wow,” Nolan responds. “Does she really- never mind. When’s the wedding?”

“This weekend.”

“Bailey and I are going to San Diego to meet Henry for a few days. I’m so sorry, I’d help you if I could.”

“Yeah, no problem. Thanks anyway,” you tell Nolan while looking for someone else you can ask. “Aaron!”

Aaron turns in the doorway, stepping back toward you and Nolan with raised brows. 

“What’s up?” he asks. 

“I need a date, a fake boyfriend for a wedding this weekend.”

“I don’t do weddings.”

“Aaron, please,” you plead.

“Look, I’d love to help you, but my family’s got a big dinner thing this weekend and they rarely end well, so I’m booked.” He pats your arm and adds, “Hope you find someone who can help.”

You nod as he walks inside. Looking around the station, you realize your options are very limited. 

“Think Angela would let me borrow Wesley for a few days?” you ask Nolan. 

“Why don’t you just find someone to actually take as a date?”

“Because that’s the entire problem, Nolan. I can’t get a date.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

As you follow him into roll call, you whisper, “I’m going to have to ask Smitty.”

Nolan stifles a laugh, shaking his head as he takes his seat. You tune Wade out after receiving your assignment for the day, glancing around the room as you try to find someone else you can ask. Maybe you should just cancel, tell your aunt that you’re the one who got sick, and now neither you nor your boyfriend can make it. 

Standing in the bullpen, you have your aunt’s contact pulled up on your phone but can’t seem to press the call button. 

✯✯✯✯✯

“Sergeant Bradford,” Nolan says. “I need some advice.”

“I already don’t like this, but go ahead,” Tim replies, resting his hands against his belt. 

“If a fellow officer, a close friend, was going to cancel going to a family member’s wedding because she couldn’t find a fake boyfriend to keep her controlling aunt off her back, would you help her?”

Tim doesn’t answer, turning away from Nolan. As he walks toward the bullpen, Nolan raises a fist in victory, hoping it works out for you and Tim. It’s clear to everyone that you have feelings for each other, but neither of you seems eager to do anything about them. Maybe this is the push you need to take the next step. 

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim’s hand covers your phone screen before he takes it from you, holding it by his side. 

“You need a fake boyfriend?” he asks. 

“Who told you? ... Nolan, I should’ve known not to trust him and his big mouth.”

“Who’s getting married?”

“My cousin,” you answer, pursing your lips in confusion about why he’s interested. 

“The cousin from the aunt that manipulates and belittles you every time you see her?”

“I’m still sorry for calling you that day, I shouldn’t have. Just didn’t have anyone else to cry to.”

“She lied to you, told you things about yourself that couldn’t have been further from the truth. So, now that you have lied to her, what are you going to do about it?”

“Cancel,” you whisper. “If I can just press the button to call her.”

“I’ll call her,” Tim offers, raising your phone. “Or I can go with you.”

“Tim, I can’t ask you to do this- to lie for me and spend your weekend off at a wedding, around people you don’t know.”

“You’re not asking,” Tim reminds you. “Which one? I make a call, or I go with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” Tim smiles while assuring, “We’re friends, and we’ve been on vacation together before. This is just like that.”

“I don’t want to go…”

“But you don’t want to deal with the grief you’ll get if you don’t. I get it, but I’ll help in any way I can.”

You nod, taking your phone from Tim. “Thank you.”

“When do we leave?”

“Friday night. The wedding’s Sunday.”

“Two days before? Why?”

“I don’t even want to think about that right now.”

Tim raises your right hand, pushing a bent paper clip over your finger as he promises, “I will make sure you survive this weekend.”

“And I… will apologize in advance.”

✯✯✯✯✯

When you get out of the shower Friday night and get dressed, all you can think about is the weekend ahead. If you or Tim get uncomfortable, you could put your relationship on the line to look like a happy couple in front of your family. 

Tim’s knock draws you from your thoughts, and when he takes your bag from you, you realize something: Tim already acts like your boyfriend, so he really is boyfriend material. Your crush on him is bound to be affected over the next 48 hours, but he agreed to this, so maybe there’s a chance he feels more than friendship, too. Shaking the idea from your head, you accept Tim’s help as you climb into the passenger seat of his truck. He waits until he’s on the freeway to ask you about the wedding and your family. 

“What’s the fiancé like?” he asks. 

“I haven’t met him. Didn’t even know they were getting married until a few days ago.”

Tim nods, laying his elbow on the center console and moving closer to you without thinking. 

“I- I want to go ahead and tell you that you don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. My family can be a lot-“

“I’m not here for them. I’m spending the weekend with you, and nothing more. Remember that, okay? So, if you need an excuse, a buffer, anything you want or need, that’s me this weekend.”

“I can never repay you for this.”

“I’ll give you a call next time I need a wedding date,” Tim suggests. 

“Deal,” you reply with an easy smile. 

✯✯✯✯✯

Someone squeals your name, and Tim grips your hand when you flinch. 

“I’m so glad you made it!” the woman says, pulling you into a hug.

“Of course. And congratulations!” you reply. “Sorry about the invitation confusion.”

“Oh, no worries, I get it. Stuff happens. My mom said you were bringing your boyfriend?”

Tim steps forward, wrapping an arm around your waist as he offers his other hand. “I’m Tim, the boyfriend your mom mentioned.”

“Oh,” your cousin says, shaking his hand. She looks between you and Tim, and as you begin to expect a sarcastic comment, she says, “Nice to meet you, Tim.”

“That wasn’t so bad,” Tim whispers in your ear. 

“I guess I could’ve been overthinking it,” you admit. 

“You’re in chateau Sauvignon Blanc,” a man says, passing a key to Tim. “Follow the white path and you won’t miss it.”

“The chateaus are named after wine,” Tim muses. “Must be nice to be marrying into a family of nepotism.”

You laugh at him, and when he refuses to let you carry your bag to the chateau, you fall into easy conversation on the short walk. Entering, however, you stop in the doorway. 

“What’s wrong?” Tim asks quickly, stepping forward so his chest presses against your back. 

“Nothing, just- there’s only one bed in here,” you say quietly. 

“I think we can make it work. There’s always the floor if you want to treat your fake boyfriend like that,” Tim jokes, closing the door and tossing your bags on a nearby chair. 

“I- why’d you agree to come?” you ask him. 

“You needed a date.”

You don’t quite accept that. It’s not enough reason for someone as logical as Tim Bradford. You don’t have time to question him further, though, as you receive a text that dinner is being served in the main tasting room in just a few minutes. 

“Hey,” Tim says, laying his hands on your shoulders. “We’re two people on vacation together. It doesn’t have to be awkward.”

“Sorry. It’s just, this isn’t what I was expecting.”

“That’s okay, but we’re going to keep moving. No one knows me here, so I’m whatever-“

“I need you to be,” you repeat. “Thank you.”

Tim smiles, and you take your bag into the bathroom to get ready while he changes. When you exit, wearing your favorite outfit and hairstyle, Tim stands, offering both his hands. 

“You look stunning.”

“Clean up pretty nicely yourself, Mr. Bradford.”

“Oh, so you’re a flirty girlfriend?”

You roll your eyes, attempting to pull away from Tim. He tightens his hands around yours and pulls you into a hug, hooking one arm around you as he leads you back to the white path. 

✯✯✯✯✯

Sitting beside Tim, your hand stays in his until the food is served. So far, all of the attention has been on your cousin and her fiancé, and you’re more than happy to listen along to their chatter rather than talk yourself. 

“What about you two?” your grandfather asks. “How’d you meet?”

Tim moves his hand out of yours, patting above your knee as he answers, “We met at work; different divisions, but we joined forces for a narcotics bust and I just couldn’t get her off my mind, so I had to ask her out.”

“How long have you been together?” someone inquires. 

“5 years,” you and Tim say together. You add, “But we’ve only been serious for what? 6 months or so?”

“Since you finally agreed to my begging, you mean?” Tim asks, sending you a comforting smile. “Yeah, about that.”

“Cute,” your cousin comments before the conversation returns to her. 

You close your eyes and release a breath, leaning toward Tim when his hand covers yours again. 

✯✯✯✯✯

“How are we doing this?” You ask, standing at the side of the bed with your arms wrapped around your waist. 

“It’s a bed,” Tim says, blinking at you. “Seems pretty straightforward.”

“Well, yeah, but… what if I, like, snore more or something?”

“I’ll live. Just get in the bed.”

You crawl under the covers, murmuring, “Thought you were gonna call me boot there for a second.”

“I still may,” Tim responds as he turns the light off, lying beside you. “Is this okay?”

“Yes. Thank you, Tim.”

“No problem.”

✯✯✯✯✯

When you wake up, it’s a few minutes before dawn, and a strong arm is holding you against the mattress. When you try to move, Tim pulls you closer before tucking you against him as he relaxes again. 

“Friends on vacation,” you remember, pressing your cheek against his chest as you get comfortable. 

Suddenly, you remember you have to survive another night by his side. The idea makes you want to pull away, but his touch and heartbeat lull you back to sleep before you can. 

✯✯✯✯✯

“Your cousin is here,” Tim whispers, shaking you gently. “She wants to talk to you about dresses.”

“You’re a snuggler,” you mumble as Tim pulls you out of bed. 

“No one will ever believe you,” Tim says darkly. 

“Is she really here?”

“I wouldn’t lie about that. This isn’t a horror movie.”

Nodding, you pick up a change of clothes and move into the bathroom. Tim’s voice is muffled through the wall, but you can tell he’s being civil even as his patience wears thin. Straightening your outfit, you open the door and smile at your cousin and Tim.

“You’re wearing that?” she asks.

“You’re beautiful,” Tim says, smiling at you.

“What exactly are we doing?” you ask.

“I wanted to see the dress you’re planning to wear to the rehearsal tonight and the wedding and reception tomorrow. If you need something different, we can-“

“I won’t need different dresses,” you interrupt. “I like the ones I brought.”

“As do I,” Tim adds. “But I’ll leave you two to talk about dresses.” He stands, kissing your temple and pausing by your side to whisper, “Call if you need someone to save you.”

Smiling, you tell him to be careful. Your cousin waits until he leaves to sit on the end of the bed, waiting for you to show the dresses you packed.

As you hold them up, you remember Tim's compliments this morning as you hide your smile at her surprised reaction. And his arm around you last night. He’s taking his fake boyfriend duties seriously, and you’re unsure if your feelings can survive another night beside him.

“They’re pretty,” your cousin says finally. “I have a few more things to do before the rehearsal this evening, but I’ll see you around.”

“Congratulations again,” you call, exiting the chateau behind her to look for Tim.

When you round a corner on the white path, you run directly into Tim. His arms come up to catch you, holding you against his chest as he raises his eyebrows in surprise.

“Did it go okay?” he asks, rubbing a hand down your spine.

“Yeah. She said the dresses were pretty, so that was unexpected.”

“Wait ‘til she sees them on you,” Tim replies. “Can’t imagine getting upstaged at my own wedding.”

“What do you want to do for the rest of the day? The rehearsal isn’t until 5 and then most of the wedding party is leaving for bachelor and bachelorette parties.”

“You could model the dresses.”

“Stop,” you plead, laughing as you press against Tim’s chest.

“It’s my duty as your boyfriend.”

“I knew I should have asked Smitty.”

Tim narrows his eyes, shaking his head. “Don’t make me think about that.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where do you think the red path goes?” you ask.

“Are you asking me on a treasure hunt date?” Tim replies.

“Maybe. Care to follow our own version of the yellow brick road? See if you can find your usual personality on the way back to Kansas?”

“You don’t like my new personality? The one I created just for you?”

“Tim,” you warn. “Red path, yes or no?”

Tim takes your hand, leading you out of the chateau and back toward his truck before turning onto the other path.

“If we find a crime scene or something,” you begin.

“What?” Tim interrupts dramatically.

“If we find something unexpected, what then?”

“Wait,” Tim calls, gently pulling you back toward him. “What is this about?”

Glancing down, you say, “Last night.”

“Look, if I made you uncomfortable-“

“No, not at all. The, uh, the unexpected part was how much I liked it,” you admit quietly.

Tim taps his knuckle lightly against your chin, smiling as you raise your head to look at him.

“Just tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I don’t want to ruin anything. We’re friends, and I care about you, but this weekend could ruin everything if I make one wrong move.”

“You said it yourself, we’re friends, and we’ve been friends for years. Walking on eggshells around me all weekend is unnecessary, not to mention more dangerous than just telling me you like being cuddled.”

“You like being cuddled.”

“Never say that aloud again.”

You chuckle, taking Tim’s hand as you begin walking again. After a few minutes of walking in silence, you stop.

“The red path looks exactly like the white path,” you point out.

“Not true. The red path is red, and the white is white.”

“Wow. You should have been a detective.”

“Are we on the same page?” Tim murmurs.

“Yeah, I’ll be myself with you this weekend. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Nerd.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry, Dorothy.”

You roll your eyes, walking away from Tim. He laughs before taking a few long steps to catch up with you. Wrapping an arm around your shoulders, Tim apologizes, and you lean against him, trying to remember what he said about being honest.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Hi, sweetheart,” your aunt greets you as you enter the venue for the rehearsal dinner. “You are at table 2, and your boyfriend is at table 9.”

“You didn’t seat us together?” you ask.

“Well, it was late notice, learning you were bringing a plus one. Sorry.”

“Uh, okay. Thanks.”

Tim lays his hand on your lower back, leading you to your table.

“I’ll be right back,” he says, reaching over the table before leaving.

You watch him walk to his table, switching a nameplate before returning to your side. He sets his nameplate on the seat beside you, sighing as he sits.

“Have I told you recently that you’re the best?”

“You don’t have to, I know,” Tim answers smugly.

“What do you want to do when this is over?”

“Planning ahead, aren’t we?” Tim smiles as he leans toward you.

✯✯✯✯✯

Exiting the venue, you take Tim’s hand, wrapping your other hand around his forearm as you walk beside him. He tugs you closer, keeping you close until you’re back in your chateau. After changing quickly and washing your face, you collapse onto the bed.

“I thought my family was tiring,” Tim jokes.

“Still up for cud- lying closely on the same piece of furniture?” you correct.

Tim leans over you, smiling as he says, “Since you asked so nicely.”

You stare at the ceiling until Tim returns and pulls you into his side as he lays beside you. Rolling against him, pressing your ear to his chest so you can hear his heartbeat, you accept that things are changing.

“I don’t think we can go back to how things were before,” you mutter.

“Me neither,” Tim agrees softly, moving his hand to your upper back.

“Did I ruin everything by letting you come with me?”

Tim rolls onto his side, facing you rather than holding you.

“What’s the plan for tomorrow? Does everything get awkward after the wedding?”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” Tim answers. “I offered to come because it was an opening to spend time with you.”

“But-“

“We’re friends, right? That’s what we say but that’s not how it feels.”

“How does it feel?” you whisper.

“Like more. Tell me you’ve been pretending, and I’ll let this go, but nothing I’ve said this weekend has been a lie or an act.”

“I have feelings for you,” you confess. “I have for years, but I didn’t know how to tell you or what you’d think. So…”

“We both did. Stay quiet to preserve a friendship that could have been much more.”

Inhaling deeply, you move forward, closing the distance between you and Tim.

“You asked what happens after the wedding,” Tim says. “I’d like to keep going from here.”

“I’d like that too.”

Tim smiles, wrapping an arm around your waist as he rolls over, pulling you with him. You laugh against him, falling silent when you look into his eyes.

“Can I-“ Tim begins.

“Kiss me,” you demand.

Tim cups your cheeks as he pulls you down against him, kissing you softly. You slide your arms over his chest, holding his jaw as you reciprocate his every move. Tim’s arm tightens around your waist before someone knocks on the door.

Pulling away, you sigh before getting out of bed, cracking the door open to see who it is.

“Hi,” you greet, surprised to see your aunt outside.

“I moved your seats for the wedding and reception,” she tells you. “Since you seem inseparable.”

“Thank you.”

“Sorry for earlier, and for interrupting. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

After you close the door, you press your hand against it and take a few breaths, surprised by her apologies.

“Are you okay?” Tim asks, sitting up as he watches you.

Walking back to his side, you lie down and move against him, smiling as you answer, “I’m great.”

Tim holds you close, both of you falling asleep on the same side of the oversized bed. When you wake up the following morning, you chuckle at the sight of it, with one side still made after a night in Tim’s arms.

✯✯✯✯✯

“You’ve been in there for a while,” Tim calls, tapping his knuckles against the bathroom door.

“Maybe she was right,” you answer. “I mean, the dress looked great on the mannequin, but…”

“Open the door,” Tim demands.

“No.”

“I will kick it down. You know I can.”

You pull the door open before he can do anything, and Tim’s eyes widen when he sees you.

“You look…”

“I know.”

“Perfect.”

Furrowing your brows, you look down at the dress.

“How do you feel?” Tim asks. “In the outfit, in general?”

 “I feel good, really good.”

“Well, you look even better. Don’t let whatever someone said make you think otherwise. And I was right.”

“About?”

“You’re gonna look better than the bride.”

Tim’s smile, accompanied by his kind words, makes you smile, wrapping your arms around his waist as you hug him tightly. Your relationship with him has changed this weekend, and you’re still giddy because you can tell him you love him whenever you want.

“I love you,” you say against his suit.

Tim pulls back quickly, looking into your eyes as he asks you to repeat it. After you do, he smiles and replies, “I love you. I’ve loved you for years.”

“We’re going to be late,” you remind him, narrowly dodging a kiss.

Shaking his head, Tim offers his arm, keeping you close as you walk to the wedding venue entrance. Finding your seats, you sit beside Tim, pulling one of his hands into your lap as you look at him.

“Those bouquets are really bright,” you say.

“Our wedding will be much better,” Tim agrees.

“We’re getting married now?” you ask, smiling.

Tim looks at you from the corner of his eye, shrugging as he says, “Why not?”

“I love you, Tim Bradford.”

“Thank you for letting me be your boyfriend this weekend,” he replies. “I love you.”

“Oh, you’re going to be my boyfriend for a lot longer than this weekend.”

“And after that?” Tim asks, interlacing his fingers with yours.

“That part is up to you, I think.”

You stand, keeping your hand in Tim’s as the wedding procession begins.

“Then, yes, we’re getting married,” Tim whispers. “But it will be perfect.”

Keeping your attention on one another throughout the ceremony, you fall in love with Tim again. After the bride and groom walk down the aisle together, you pull the paper clip ring from your dress pocket. Tim stands, and when he turns to you, you raise it.

“Tim Bradford, will you be my boyfriend?”

Tim chuckles, pulling you up to kiss you before you slide the ring onto his finger. He had nearly forgotten about giving it to you before leaving the station but seeing it on his finger makes him even more eager to marry you someday.

[patolemus]

Sterek fic recs: Fake Dating AU Edition

Because @oldefashioned requested a fake dating rec list, here it is. These are all very funny, as fake dating fics ought to be, so I hope you get a good laugh out of it.

1. Not Your Disney Romance by Wrennefer (Wrenegadeone)

After a long-forgotten agreement of an arranged marriage between Derek and the daughter of another pack's alpha resurfaces, Stiles takes it upon himself to become the most amazing fake fiancé that a clueless, desperate alpha werewolf could wish for.

Notes: Domestic pack, my beloved. Stiles and Derek are precious here, I LOVE THEM!! The visiting pack, not so much, but who cares about them?? It's all pretty lighthearted, all things considered. It's completed.

2. Electricity In the Contact by ladyblahblah

In which Derek has been invited to the Greater Pacific Northwest Alpha Symposium (that's not what it's called, Stiles, stop saying that), and showing up unattached would mean an arranged marriage. When the rest of the pack objects, he agrees to let Stiles come along to pose as his mate. Derek is reasonably sure that he's not going to make it out of this weekend alive.

Notes: Werewolf convention fics are so good! I actually haven't found all that many, considering how common a trope it is, and it's a tragedy because they're always so well done! This one is no exception, and the mini-world building is also great! It's completed.

3. can’t be hateful, gotta be grateful by HalfFizzbin

"Be cool, Dad, we've decided to con Grandma." (Or, the one where the Stilinski men drag Derek to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's and she gets the right wrong idea.)

Notes: this one is just *cheff´s kiss* wonderful! It's all pretty domestic and the humor is on point. College student Stiles and the Sheriff are strong armed into spending Thanksgiving with Stiles' grandma, and they find nothing better than to bring Derek with them. Pining and misunderstandings ensue and thus comes the fake dating. It's completed.

4. Gravity’s Got Nothing on You by zosofi

“Three weeks,” Derek says. “Still don’t want to,” Stiles says. “I’ll pay you,” Derek says, and that… that has Stiles interested. Alf’s Antique’s may be a great job, but it’s not a high-paying job, and half of Stiles’s tuition is coming from financial aid, so… “How much,” Stiles asks, “are we talking here? Because I know your family, dude. And it’ll be kind of awkward after.“ “My family thinks you’re some sort of fucking gift to the world,” Derek seethes, like he’s jealous, “they’ll probably be pissed at me when we break it off, so don’t worry about that. Five hundred bucks.” “A thousand,” Stiles says, because screw ethics. Also, the Hale family is loaded. Derek can deal.

Notes: this had such a chokehold on me when I first read it. Absolutely wonderful. Enemies to lovers?? Maybe. Assholes to assholes-in-love, is a better descriptor. There's werewolves, and magic, and it's awesome! It's completed.

5. He’s Not Mine by Sonnee

Derek comes home to find an abandoned werebaby on his front porch and Stiles volunteers to help him out. Surprisingly, that is just the beginning of his problems.

Notes: again, it's all very domestic, like most fake dating fics ought to be. It's a kid fic, Sterek are mates, we have all the love. Not much else I can think to add... it's completed.

6. Real life isn’t a movie (life doesn’t make narrative sense) by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)

Somehow accidentally insulting a hot guy in a coffee shop leads to pretending to be his boyfriend in front of a house full of werewolves. Stiles Stilinski is living his best life and making the most of his Hallmark movie moment.

Notes: this one had me cracking up because it's so funny! Stiles is living his best life, for real. Derek... suffers. But it's okay, because he gets a boyfriend out of this whole thing! They are disgustingly sweet in that assholish way they have. It's completed.

7. You look like my next mistake by Vendelin

“So, are you dating someone new? Someone who doesn’t mind that you’re frigid?” Kate cocks her head to the side, smiling as though she just asked him about where he bought his shoes. His entire body sighs in defeat as his shoulders grow square. Just as he opens his mouth, someone comes up to stand beside him, snaking an arm around his shoulders. When he glances to his side, expecting to see Isaac, his brain seems to malfunction. Because it isn’t Isaac. It’s Stiles Stilinski, the lacrosse talent of the year, a senior who Derek has seen multiple times from far away, but never ever talked to. In which Derek is a nerd jock, and Stiles is a frat guy, and Derek falls for him even though he knows he shouldn't.

Notes: this one had me HOWLING it's so good!! Frat boy Stiles, my beloved. It's technically not fake dating because it turns into an actual relationship pretty quickly, but it starts as fake dating so I'll take it. Stiles is an absolute sweetheart in this one, I love him! And Derek is shy, and insecure, but he's so great, and everyone gets a happy ending except Kate, which is always a good thing. It's completed.

8. All’s Fair In Orgasms and War by bleepobleep

AVN BREAKING NEWS-- DIAMOND VISTA RIDGE BREAKS HIS CONTRACT WITH HALE HOUSE "We haven't seen much of our favorite rock hard stud from Hale House ever since that indie twink dethroned him as champion in Orgasm Wars, but it's just been confirmed that Diamond will no longer be working for the legendary studio famous for producing some of our favorite werewolf-on-human works. Don't fret, Diamond fans, it looks like he's been spotted cozying up to True Alpha Studios! Apparently he couldn't get enough of that one human and then followed him home. Could it be true love? Keep your eye on this studio-- us at AVN think we're about to get a lot more of Diamond in a very new way!" ~ The one in which (almost) everyone is a porn star, and Derek just wants to curl up with his fluffy blanket and watch the Hallmark channel, but work and falling in love gets in the way.

Notes: okay but is this fake dating? Maaaaaybe. It's kinda complicated. Basically everyone here is a porn star and the pack has this studio where they cater to werewolves and have a whole thing about established relationships, which is where the fake dating comes up. It's surprisingly very fluffy, considering this is a porn au, and Derek is the softest goober in this one. Stiles is completely enamoured. It's completed.

9. Wanted from the You Are series by Asterekmess (Livinginfiction)

With the Hale pack finally settled and safe, it only makes sense that something would happen to screw it all up. To top it all off, Stiles has to pretend to be Derek's mate, or face a pack of angry Alphas. He's doomed.

Notes: Alright so this series is wonderful. The world building done for the Alpha pack is also great, and that's the center of the second part (which has the fake dating). I do recommend reading the first part before jumping on to Wanted because it is a direct continuation. Also, it's an amazing au! It's completed.

10. For Love is Not Ours to Command by weathervaanes

Where Derek's skills at thinking on his feet mean that he and Stiles have to act. For the sake of Stiles' dad, of course, for the sake of the pack. No personal interest interference at all, whatsoever. Right. -0- “Why does my dad say that you and your boyfriend are a bad influence on me?” “What?” “Yeah, what boyfriend? Dude, you are not allowed to not tell me crap like this. You didn't think I'd like be a douchebag or something. Right?” “No, wait, what? I have no boyfriend.” “He says you were with him at the police station.” Stiles blinks. “Uhm. Oh shit.”

Notes: Stiles just wanted to find dirt on Raphael McCall to blackmail him. Somehow, he got himself a whole ass boyfriend. It's complicated. That's it, that's the fic. It's completed.

11. Stiles Stilinski, Boyfriend Extraordinaire by MareLoup

“Beacon County Sheriff's Department, this is deputy Mahealani speaking.” “Oh thank god!” “Stiles?” “I, uh, I need some advice.” “Advice?” “Yeah. So, hypothetically, say you met your boyfriend’s mother and sister for the first time ever. Completely by accident. In the grocery store. And they convinced you to help them make a dinner to surprise aforementioned boyfriend when he got home after work. What would you do?” Danny paused, and then, “Stiles, you don’t have a boyfriend.” “That’s not the point! And I said hypothetically.” “Stiles...what are you doing right now?” *** Stiles never imagined he’d be in Derek’s kitchen cooking a surprise dinner with Derek’s family while they waited for Derek to get home from work. Partly because their visit was a complete surprise. But mostly because Stiles didn’t have a boyfriend. Or even know who Derek was. But he’d already come this far and Papa didn’t raise no quitter!

Notes: this is to date one of my favorite Sterek fics. I laughed so much while reading this, I'm not even joking. The whole thing is a comedy of errors gone right. Stiles somehow finds himself pretending to be Derek's boyfriend, only he has no idea who Derek even is and why his family knows Stiles at all. His inner monologue is one of the funniest I've read, and his slow descent into (good natured) madness is wonderful. It's completed.

12. Love Like An Ache In The Jaw by Anonymous

“So let me get this straight,” The sheriff massages his temples, “You found a magic book, and performed a magic spell that has backfired and magically bound you to Derek Hale, rendering you both in agony if you’re not in the same room.” Derek and Stiles exchange a look. “Um. Yes.” Stiles says sheepishly. “Right. And just to be clear, when we’re talking agony… exactly how agonizing is the agony?” Derek clears his throat. “Sir, I’ve had a pole stabbed through my chest and held there for an hour. This was… similar.” - In which boredom, magic and dumbassery come together to produce a Christmas miracle slash disaster. Oh, and Stiles' grandmother who knows absolutely nothing about the supernatural happens to be in town. Oops.

Notes: another hilarious one. Stiles does Stiles things and ends up magically bound to Derek. No one is amused except Stiles' grandmother, who's having the time of her life, here. It's completed!

[mistydeyes]

undercover with undiscovered feelings

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊

summary: Your codename is Belladonna and one thing is clear you have a mood more sour than Ghost's. You hated the limelight, the shock and awe of it all, preferring to take your enemies out discreetly and quietly. Suddenly Laswell throws you to the wolves along with Soap, your fake French American fiancé. As if that wasn't bad enough, you have one secret. You're in love with him but you won't let him see past your hard exterior.

pairing: Soap x fem!Reader, sunshine x grumpy trope

warnings: SWEARING, violence, depiction of wounds, feelings being brought to the surface

a/n: thought it was time my scottish boy deserves some love

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊

Belladonna, the infamous 141's specialist in stealth and toxicology. Price took you on board due to your decorated resume and ability to discreetly take out your target. From day one, a certain mohawk soldier would not let you live down that your code name was also one shared with a porn star. God you hated him. Although maybe not hate, more like "unwillingly attracted to." You were polar opposites. While Johnny always was one for the theatrics, you were not one for shock and awe. You preferred to blend in the crowd, a grey man if you will. But stealth wouldn't help you here as Laswell planned to put you on in the limelight.

God, you should've known that breaking a mirror with your stray bullet would have its consequences. Now, you were sitting in this debrief in a safehouse in Italy wishing you had taken that bullet instead. Your legs bounced with nervousness as Laswell went through the planned covert op.

"I see you looking at me, Bell. I'm sorry but this mission is going to require you to get more intimate and not hide in the shadows," she said as you tried to silence your rapid heartbeat. All eyes were on you as Laswell continued, the mission was a simple one. One team would enter through the vents and gain access to a museum's records, a front for child trafficking. Another team would work undercover and make sure no one noticed the information extraction. What was your role? Oh Laswell made sure to painful describe how you would pose as a wealthy art collector accompanied by your body guard and your fiancé to be. "And who would those be?" you asked, fearing the worst. "Soap will be your dutiful boyfriend of 5 years while Ghost chaperones you through the night." You couldn't believe what you were hearing, out of all people why did they pick the Scottish idiot who you secretly liked. "What about Price and Gaz?" you wondered as Laswell had not reached the end of her debrief. "We'll be doing the hard work, you're just the distraction, Sweetheart," Price said and soon you would realize what he meant as a distraction.

"Stop shaking, Y/N," Price said as Ghost delicately tried a ring on your finger. "First, you all expect me to go undercover. Next, you make me act all cozy with this sweaty idiot. And now, you're having me try on rings to be fake proposed too?" you shouted as Soap held your hand to stabilize it. "Not just any ring, bonnie. A ring hand picked by me with the finest Japanese saltwater pearl and a band of 3 ct of diamonds set in pink gold. Now let me put it on your finger and you can go." You huffed as he and Price examined the fit of the ring, ensuring it was perfect for the planned engagement.

To your dismay, the night had finally arrived. You nervously checked the mirror as your hair lay loose around your shoulders. It was parted to one side, covertly hiding a comm in your left ear. Earlier, the boys had been relentless as you applied your makeup and curled your hair. Soap almost gained a black eye when he joked, "Well, our wee Bell actually cleaned up for once." The mission might end up being the death of you and your heart.

You felt nauseous looking at your self, examining how the dress flowed from one shoulder and ended with a waterfall of restricting pink tulle. The only thing you liked about this dress were the navy blue pearls adorning the layers of fabric, a subtle nod to your code name. "Lass, it's time," you heard Soap knock. You bunched up your skirt as you made your way to answer him. You were thankful Laswell had graciously gifted you with a knife tucked in a garter along with a set of Clostridium botulinum syringes. You opened the door to see him finely dressed in a midnight blue cashmere wool, silk blend suit. You couldn't deny he was handsome. Your pulse quickened as you examined him further, he had been asked to shave his famous mohawk and instead had a simple haircut. To him, you were also a sight to behold. Your cynical demeanor had endeared him, he loved making fun of you until he noticed a slight reaction. But now you looked even more gorgeous, he felt his breath hitch as he saw how the dress fit your curves perfectly and showed off your frame wonderfully. "Soap, let's go," you said breaking the silence and ending his trance. "You look breath-taking, Lass. Couldn't help but stare." You were glad he walked behind you as your face was bright red.

You exited the safe house marveling at the black Aston Martin Laswell had obtained for the op. As you got in the car, you noted Laswell driving along with Ghost in a black suit fixing his cufflinks in the passenger seat. "We're bringing you out of the shadows tonight, Bell" Ghost began, "don't worry we got you covered" he said and flashed his inner coat to show a gun tucked in its lining. Laswell, ever the observer, could feel your nerves. "Bell, there's some tequila in the console for you," she said and you quickly leaned over Soap's lap to grab it. Bless this woman, she knew your favorite. After taking many sips from the bottle, you tried to offer it to Soap but he disgustingly replied, "that shite tastes like dog piss." More for you, you guessed. You nursed the bottle as Laswell drove over the rolling hills of the coast. You tried to calm your nerves reminding yourself this was just another mission, something that you could add to your resume. You kept mentally telling yourself, "keep it professional".

Finally you felt the car come to a stop as Soap lightly tapped your shoulder indicating your arrival. "Let's go, my pearl," he said in a surprisingly convincing American accent. In this narrative, you were from a wealthy Portuguese home while Soap was your new money, New York City-transplant French American. He held out his hand as he helped you out of the vehicle. As you felt the cold coastal chill on your shoulders, you made your way to the entrance.

You made your way to check-in, Ghost silently following behind. You forcefully smiled, introducing yourself as Elaine de Rosales and your date as Renoir Cretin (dumbass in French). The host stifled a laugh at Soap's fake last name and allowed you three to enter.

As you entered the large gallery, you noted some familiar faces from the endless files Laswell had "gifted" you with. "Fucking bastards," you said under you breath and Simon whispered behind you, "that's no language for a lady." He was definitely getting his ass kicked next time you had a training exercise.

When Soap went for your hand, you could feel your heart jump. You should've downed that entire tequila bottle. He held your hand, gracefully leading you around the gallery as you made painful conversation about each piece. You were never one for arts and your horrible comments made that clear. "This looks nice," you said with a questioning tone and you heard Price laugh at your comment. He remarked, "Kid, you're so dry. Just try to act like you don't want to inject yourself with botulism right now." Every one was seriously out to get you today.

"You look more breathtaking than this painting, darling," Soap said aloud as you admired The Birth of Venus. He was laying on this whole couple thing, hard. You hoped he couldn't feel the heat radiating from your face as he planned a soft kiss on the crown of your head. "My love, you're too kind. You're practically carved from marble," you replied back, catching a glimpse of a pink blush on his cheeks.

After you examined yet another painting, Price notified you that they had gained access into the main server room. You gave Soap a subtle set of three taps with your thumb. He knew it was time as he lead you over to the main attraction. You lifted your eyes, gazing upon the large rendition of Eros and Psyche in front of you. Soap let go of your hand as he set himself on one knee.

Weeks before, Soap attempted to relieve your nerves as he described the masterful speech he would deliver to you. There were many revisions as he practiced the fateful moment to you. "You know, Soap, if I were a dumb, I'd say you're in love with me" you joked, "that speech was disgustingly romantic from the likes of you." "Oh fuck off, Bell. The first nice thing you say about me ends with an insult," he shot back. To anyone watching, the tension was clear but you remained your grumpy self, hiding your emotions.

Brought back into the moment, you could hear the crowd hush, eyes focused on you and him. "Elaine, ever since I saw you lost in the streets of Versailles, you have captivated me with your beauty and elegance. Your vast knowledge of art has shown me that there's more to a painting than a canvas with paint. I love you and will forever be there to listen to your musings about Monet and Degas," he began and you waited for the fateful words to fall out of mouth. However, to your surprise he continued, "I have never met anyone who entertained my antics quite like you have. You challenge me constantly with your fiery words and quips. This little dance of ours makes me a more humble, more loving man. Looking at you tonight, I realize that you are the woman who inspires me to surmount all obstacles. Will you make make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?" You were shocked, that was definitely not part of the script. Your face flushed at his kind words and he looked deep into your eyes.

"Oh yes, Renoir!" you whispered as tears fell from your eyes. He triumphantly picked you up, spinning you in his arms. He set you down and held your chin gently in his hand. He raised your face to his and placed a long kiss on your mouth. Your lips moved in sync as he held you tightly with his other arm. You were lost in each other, ignoring the full attention of the crowd. As you parted, the crowd loudly clapped at the spectacle. You took this moment to lean over to your new fiancé and whispered, "You went off script." He gently kissed your cheek and whispered back, "meant every word, Bell." Ghost returned to your side as older couples gathered, congratulating the "new couple." Your smile was genuine as you showed off the expensive ring, giddily detailing how your mothers would be so proud you bagged a good one.

You walked around the gallery more, now linking arms with Soap. You hadn't acknowledged the speech since your whisperings and went about downing numerous offered glasses of champagne. You made your way to a private gallery adored with more opulent paintings of historic love stories. Ghost positioned himself next to the security guard, allowing you both to sit on a bench and admire the artwork. After what seemed like forever, you in your tipsy state, broke the silence.

"My love, I appreciated your kind words. I never thought you felt that way about me," you said quietly, eyes trained on a depiction of. "Well El, you never gave me the chance. When we first met in France, I thought you disdained me," he replied, moving to hold your waist.

"I never disdained you, just ran away from my feelings," you whispered back. As you finished your sentence, he again placed his hand on your chin to lift your face. Just as you were about to kiss again, you heard through the comm, "Bell, Soap, we've been compromised. Gaz jammed their signals but security is heading to our location as we speak," Price said in a rushed tone.

Immediately, you feigned a dizzy spell as Ghost and the museum security guard rushed to help you. As they helped to carry you to a private room, you mumbled incoherently about how you were drunk on love. Once the security guard set you down, Soap shut the door and you discreetly injected the man with one of your toxins. As he lay on the velvet couch, Ghost replied to Gaz and Price that you were on the way.

Exiting the room, Ghost stopped a patrolling security guard and said, "There's a young woman in that room. Try not to disturb her, I believe she may have had one too many drinks and her father doesn't want a fiasco for the family."

With that, you made your way through the various guests, loudly whispering to your fiancé that you desperately wanted some alone time. No one questioned you as Ghost made his way to the stairwell and you both split into the elevator.

Descending to the ground floor, you could hear gunshots echoing through the elevator doors. As it opened, a guard yelled that you both shouldn't be down there before becoming distracted by another gunshot. You took this time to pull out another syringe and injected it into his neck.

"Nice work, Elaine," Soap said and armed himself with a hidden pistol from his suit pocket. Ghost joined you both soon after as you made your way to the other team's location. You three worked in unison as the boys provided a pleasant distraction with their gunfire. You were able to sneak you way and subdue the guards with your knife as they were distracted by the noise of falling bodies and shots fired. You finally made it to the room, notifying your presence with a coded series of knocks. Price heaved the door open as you noticed Gaz behind him, drive in hand but with a bleeding arm. You quickly tore the layers of fabric from your dress and provided a makeshift tourniquet.

"How are we getting out of here, Captain? They're gonna have this place on lockdown," Gaz asked. "There's a delivery area on this floor, we'll have to hurry," Ghost said and navigated you all through the winding corridors.

You finally snuck you way to the area but noticed 5 guards standing watch. "Gobshite, they must've already put this place on lockdown," Soap swore quietly. With the adrenaline rushing to your ears, you had an idea, "follow my lead, Renoir. Danger close, boys. Just listen for my signal" you whispered. You quickly took some blood from Gaz's leaking wound and applied it to your dress and ripped skirt. You rubbed your hands on Soap's pristine white shirt and pooled it around his stomach. You then motioned for him to cover his hands with Gaz's blood. "Thanks, mate," Soap whispered to Gaz and you quickly rushed into the large delivery room.

"Please help us!" you shrieked, you held on desperately to Ghost. "My fiancé and I were attacked by some crazed gunsman, I think he's been shot," you cried as the men rushed over to help. Your loud wailing and statements saying how you couldn't lose your love distracted them and allowed for you 5 to take them out. The minute you took one of the men closest to you out with your last syringe, you shrieked, "MY GOD, Kate's been shot!" That was the queue as the boys knew Laswell was nowhere near the museum. Soap quickly took out the two men trying to find the source of his bleeding while Price and Ghost handled the other two.

With the men down and the area cleared, you loaded into an armored van, presumably one that transported all the expensive art. With Price at the wheel, Ghost provided cover as you raced into the night.

Finally away from danger, you all breathed a sigh of relief. Gaz lay in the middle of Ghost and Price, tending to his wound while you and Soap lay in the back amongst the plastic wrappings of paintings.

"You were a great actress, lass. Who knew you had it in ya," Soap said as you sat next to him. You both were propped against the steel interior of the van, experiencing every bump Price hit. "You as well, that proposal was something else," you replied back. "Like I said in the gallery, Bell, I meant every word." With that, you finally were able to share your second kiss and Price smiled looking in the rearview mirror. "Be careful with that one Sgt, if you mess up she'll slip some ricin in your mouth." he joked as you and Soap rested against one another, you'd deal with the repercussions later.

[destieltropecollection]

DESTIEL TROPE COLLECTION 2023 | DAY 31 | Fake Dating

Made up, like my fiancé | @blanketforcas

Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2,834 Main Tags/Warnings: Fluff, First Kiss, Touch-Starved Dean Winchester, make-up date Summary: Cas and Dean find out how much they like make-up (and each other)

under covers | @demonmary

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6,588 Main Tags/Warnings: AU: No Supernatural, Federal Agents, Undercover as Married , Co-workers , Flirting , Smut , Older Castiel (Supernatural) Summary: inspired by an episode of NCIS, Dean and Cas go undercover for some good ol' fashioned fake dating.

We were always meant to say goodbye (please don't go) | @readingprofoundbonds

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 8,210 Main Tags/Warnings: Misunderstandings, Second Chances Summary: When Castiel hears that Dean Smith will date anyone who asks him out for exactly one week, he's curious. He tests the waters and sees if 'anyone' will include male co-workers from Accounting.

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love | @aishitara

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 14,882 Main Tags/Warnings: Idiots to lovers, mutual pining, best friends to lovers, but they were roommates!, pretend relationship, misunderstanding, mild angst with a happy ending. Summary: Dean clears his throat and says, “I have an idea for how to deal with your mom.” He looks away as he takes a long swallow of beer. “But you’re probably not gonna like it.” Castiel grunts. “Tell me anyway. You’ve got one idea more than me.” Huffing a small laugh, Dean says, “Yeah, well, we’ll see.” He looks over at Castiel, lower lip caught between his teeth. “I’ll go with you,” he says earnestly. “To Thanksgiving.” Castiel stares at Dean blankly, not following. “Y’know,” Dean says, suddenly interested in removing the label from his beer. “As your boyfriend.”

swing with you for the fences | @fifthstiel

Rating: Mature Word Count: 27,637 Main Tags/Warnings: canon divergence (season 14), de-aging, kid jack, fake relationship, pining, getting together, case fic Summary: With elementary school parents falling mysteriously ill in Pennsylvania, a little magical aid allows a de-aged Jack and devoted single father Cas to play the perfect bait. However, a misunderstanding shortly after arriving leaves Dean reluctantly saddled with undercover parenthood right along with Cas. Now Dean has to survive the petty drama of suburbia while trying to track down whatever’s responsible for targeting parents in the community - and navigating his feelings about the family he didn’t think he’d ever get to have.

Lavender Pines | @thisisapaige

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 30,609 Main Tags/Warnings: Fake/Pretend Relationship (Platonic Cas & Rowena), Secret Relationship (Sam/Rowena), Idiots to Lovers (Cas/Dean), Case Fic, Post-Episode: s12e11 Regarding Dean Summary: Rowena calls Sam, asking for help. Her former lover, the powerful witch Leon O'Leary, has something of hers and she wants it back. When Sam agrees to help, the last thing he expects is for her to pull out a ring and propose. To Cas. Cas and Rowena move into the wealthy suburb of Lavender Pines and work to become the most well-liked newlywed couple on the block. Sam and Dean support them from the bunker. It’s a milk run of a case. Simple. Easy. It’s not.

[aziraphales-library]

Hello, Sir! Can I have some misunderstanding tropes? I want a fake/pretended relationship with other people to be specific, but that might be too specific, and if so, your favorite misunderstanding is more than fine. Crack or angst, romantic or platonic All is well!!😉

Hi. We have loads of fics on our #misunderstandings and #fake/pretend relationship tags, so make sure to check those! Here are some more to add to the collection...

The Great Theodolphus by entanglednow (T)

In which Crowley wakes to a new century, and finds he's not quite over his argument with Aziraphale. He also has unexpected competition for the angel's affection.

One Dance Whose Steps I Never Could Learn by hapax (T)

Or, Five Times Crowley Took Romantic Advice From Anathema (plus One Time He Took Romantic Advice From Newt)

“Shaddup,” Crowley said, a bit of fondness leaking into his voice. “We’re not friends, neither. You’re just this bint who I tempt into ditching her fiancé on a monthly basis.” “And you are just this camp old horror that comes to me to whine about his boyfriend-who-isn’t-really-his-boyfriend,” she retaliated, resting her chin on her folded hands.

Anathema Device has the perfect plan for tempting Aziraphale to realize that he ought to be with Crowley (not to mention distracting herself from own upcoming wedding): adapting scenarios from cheesy rom-coms. Crowley is doubtful, but hasn’t got one single better idea.

A Different Kind of Arrangement by mar_map (G)

Aziraphale really wishes that his family would stay out of his (non-existent) love life. To avoid being set up (again), Aziraphale has taken to the internet in the hopes of hiring someone to masquerade as his boyfriend for the next family holiday. Enter Crowley, the florist from down the street, ready to make some heads roll.

Talk About It by hope_in_the_dark (T)

Aziraphale and Crowley have been best friends for sixteen years. Crowley's been in love with Aziraphale for almost that long. When Aziraphale tells his family that he'll be bringing his boyfriend to his step-brother's wedding, things get a bit complicated.

A Fake Dating AU.

One Miraculous December by journeytogallifrey (T)

Candles. Mistletoe. An entire frozen lake. Festive memories from their past together keep appearing out of nowhere.

Crowley's sure he's manifesting them accidentally out of sheer romantic desperation. It's bad enough trying to hide his unrequited love as they grow closer post-Apocaloops - what if Aziraphale sees the objects for what they are, a window into his yearning soul? Unfortunately, the only way to banish the objects seems to be talking about each memory...

Meanwhile, Aziraphale is just trying to woo his demon boyfriend with big gestures, ready to prove his devotion. And if Crowley acts awkward about the miracles? Surely that's just his difficulty accepting affection. The solution: shower him with as much of it as possible...

Eventually these two will communicate, even if it takes 'til the end of the year. For now there will be cuddling, excuses for closeness, sappy words, flashbacks, nostalgia, bickering, and an obscene variety of holiday foods. Oh, and footnotes. That's right. We're doing those too.

- Mod D

[meownotgood]

Fake husband Aki scenario

You have your friend Aki help you out with a situation when your parents says they wanna come over to visit for the week and meet this "husband" of yours you claim you have

Meaning for the 7 days Aki has to act all romantic with you and impress your parents, but this is all for pretend ofc haha,,, not like Aki has feelings for you or anything,,, or that he gets all giddy inside when he holds your hand

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE FAKE RELATIONSHIP TROPE WITH AKI!!!! aaah because he would totally do it! I always thought he'd have no issue pretending to be your boyfriend... maybe so some guy you're not interested in will leave you alone. and in this situation....

your parents have always bugged you to get married and settle down, and it annoys you so much that you tell them you got engaged so they'll get off your back. well, your plan works smoothly — that is, until your parents say they're coming to visit. now, you're asking aki, your closest friend, if he'll pretend to be your fiancé for a while just so you can keep up the lie... and surprisingly, he agrees.

he knows how suffocating your parents can be. you've told him about how sometimes, they just won't leave you alone. and so, he doesn't mind helping you out.

he has no problem wearing a shiny ring and recounting to your parents the story of how he proposed to you. "oh, it was so romantic. I wanted to propose for so long, and I finally got the confidence to do it. I cried after they said yes, isn't that crazy?" and you quickly got used to how whenever your parents are around, he calls you mister/miss hayakawa.

he'll impress them as much as you need him to, he'll cook them amazing meals and show them how doting he is to you, how good he takes care of you. he even holds your hand and kisses you on the cheek in front of them, just to make sure they're extra convinced. aki thinks he's got the charade down (well, he did start panicking a little when your parents asked when the two of you were gonna give them grandchildren, but other than that, he stayed composed).

and he's definitely only doing this cause he's a nice person. he's got no problem helping you out. that's all. okay, maybe now he can't stop thinking about how much your parents liked him, or how soft your lips felt when he gave you a chaste kiss, or how it felt to sleep in the same bed as you....... but that doesn't mean anything.

[karatam]

Read recently (April - Sept 2023)

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. A sequel to A Marvellous Light, but can be read as a standalone. In a Victorian era world with magic, Maud is on a ship crossing the Atlantic when a fellow passenger is murdered. Maud will team up with a beautiful stranger that kind of turns her world upside down in order to solve the mystery. I loved this book and all the characters involved, and it was a great murder mystery too.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Bailey. In a wild west era where all reading material is closely controlled by those in power, Esther stows away with a troupe of travelling Librarians because she needs to escape a marriage to a man who killed the girl she was in love with. Very queer and with lots of gun-slinging and books. A fun quick read.

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff. Sequel to Nevernight, picks up basically where the previous one ended but also jumps ahead in a parallel narrative. Now involving gladiatorial combat, the tangled politics of the world, and finding out more about the tragic Corvere family. Utterly ridiculous in a fun way, I like this book.

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur. A queer romance with a fake dating trope. This was very cute, though the romance genre isn't usually my favourite. I wish it had been a liiiittle more slow burn, and they deserved more than just the one sex scene lmao

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty. Mallory seems to just attract murders all her life (in that they just randomly happen near her) runs away to a remote alien space station to try and make it so humans stop dying in her immediate vicinity. But when she finds out that a whole bunch of humans are incoming to the station, she realizes what's going on it much larger than just her own weird proclivity for finding herself at the scene of the crime. Sci-fi and murder mystery combo that I quite liked, though I felt like her ally Xan was weirdly unsympathetic to like....Mallory's trauma from finding a dozen dead bodies or witnessing murders. A weird book, but I liked it.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs. Sisters Joanna and Esther were raised to protect their family's secret library of magical books, but Joanna is left alone to her duty when Esther runs away from home and doesn't return. Nick is the last known person who can write these magical books, and it might be killing him. They're all thrown together when a dangerous book nearly falls into the wrong hands. A standalone novel that creates a very interesting magic system and very likeable characters who all grow and a mystery that kept my attention. Will be looking forward to more from this author.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson. This small town was rocked 5 years ago when the most popular girl at school was murdered by her boyfriend who then killed himself, and her body was never found. Now, Pip is fairly sure he was actually innocent and the real killer was never found. And she's going to prove it as part of her senior capstone project. This is a YA murder mystery done very well. Lots of twists and turns (and lots of me wishing Pip would practice better computer security, but whatever) and I'll be looking for the other books in this series.

Blood of the Chosen by Django Wexler. Picks up a few weeks after Ashes of the Sun, with siblings Maya and Gyre still on opposite sides of the fight. Gyre tries to help another rebellion while Maya is sent off to spy on a potentially traitorous rival of her mentor. Definitely a middle book in a trilogy, but a big big plus this book has over its predecessor is that the very annoying character suddenly became wayyy less annoying and in fact became quite funny. Had some twists I didn't see coming and had me reaching for the final book right away.

Emperor of Ruin by Django Wexler. Picks up right away once again, with Maya and Gyre, uh, running for their goddamn lives? This author writes fight and battle scenes very well and I also liked the amount of research the characters have to do. Love how plot points from the first book circled back to be relevant once again. And once again the queer romance in this series is very sweet, even as the characters are attempting to not die. I really liked this series overall.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh. How do I even describe this book without giving too much away? Kyr is a soldier in training, one of the last remnants of the human race in the galaxy, after humanity was basically wiped out during a war about 20 years ago. But when her twin brother is assigned a suicide mission and she's assigned to just have babies forever, she strikes out with a hostage alien and her brother's strange friend to try and help keep her brother alive. And along the way, must confront the truth of everything she's ever known. I LOVED this book. Kyr's upbringing has echoes of cults and something like north korea, and she struggles with that throughout the whole book, it's not something tossed away easily once she discovers what's going on. And in her flaws, there's such a humanity, and my heart hurt to see her in pain. Highly recommended.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. This is non-fiction, which is a bit unusual for me, but wow it's great. This tells the story of the Osage Murders, a series of killings during the 1920s where dozens of members of the Osage Nation were murdered due to their tribe's ownership of oil rights in the region, and then the investigation and cover-ups that went along with them. Leaves you feeling bereft by the sheer volume of injustices committed against the Osage nation (and still, no doubt, being committed to this day). But there are still feelings of hope and kindness and generosity and grace, as this community tries to both protect itself and heal, even as the writer discovers more and more crimes that aren't part of the official tally.

[sheepie-self-ships]

I posted 612 times in 2022

That's 612 more posts than 2021!

20 posts created (3%)

592 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@pedritcpascalito

@rebeccaselfships

@letsgofoletsgo

@dianthus-lovebomb

@disaster-walking-on-land

I tagged 304 of my posts in 2022

Only 50% of my posts had no tags

#sunny ☀️ - 70 posts

#hiromiii 🌺 - 55 posts

#toshi 🌻 - 50 posts

#montyy ⭐️ - 40 posts

#moony 🌙 - 18 posts

#ninasrandomships - 12 posts

#murder gf ♥️ - 12 posts

#the robo dad friend ⚡️ - 11 posts

#evil toshi 🥀 - 9 posts

#tag game - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#there’s also kinda mettaton but he feels more like an ex i still like? i haven’t interacted with ut content in years but i still love them

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

hellou! :] here's a gush pass 🤲✉️. gush about whoever is on your mind today!!

:0c hi!! I love ur blog!

uhM honestly sunny has been pretty Present as of late and I just think hes so cute like 🥺🥺 I was reading some of the hcs i rb’ed and they made him sound the sweetest. He’s just such a little ray of sunshine (well… yeah he’s supposed to be the sun lol) and I’m so happy I found him :) even if he’s a robot lol

2 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

#4

Headcanon: Monty listens to Ariana grande

13 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

#3

HEY HEY HEY!

I’m Sheepie, this is my self ship blog :) hi! I use they/them pronouns, please respect that!!

DNI IF:

- you are LGBTQ+ phobic and all that follows that

- you are a MAP and all that follows that

- want to start drama/discourse, no one has time for that!! Go do something that makes you happy!!

- don’t like self inserts, self shipping, etc. How’d you even get here then???

- (this is more of a BYF but still) if you are uncomfortable sharing F/Os (See my F/O list to check!)

F/O List under the cut!!

Romantic F/Os

I’m comfortable sharing all of them!! If you aren’t tho that’s chill, ik my blog probably isn’t for everyone ^-^*

☆ Star emojis are for my favorites! ☆

~☆~

☆ TOSHINORI YAGI/ALL MIGHT ☆

Boku No Hero Academia

tag: #toshi 🌻

villain AU/All Smite tag: #evil toshi 🥀

status: Fiancé :))

~☆~

☆ HIROMI HIGA/SHADOW ☆

Sk8: The Infinity

tag: #hiromiii 🌺

status: Boyfriend

~☆~

☆! SUNDROP/DAYCARE ATTENDANT !☆

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

tag: #sunny ☀️

Poly tag (with Monty): #glittergolf and their human ☀️🐊🌸, #glittergolf ☀️🐊

status: Boyfriend

~☆~

See the full post

14 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

#2

Hihi this has definitely been done before but i wanted to make a post on this blog 👉🏻👈🏻

anywayssss put the song you associate with your F/O or the song that is you guys’ couple song???

I put mine under the cut because I wanted a few

im gonna say whoever wants to can rb with theirs but ill also tag some ppl ^-^)b

@ninasrandomships @rebeccaselfships @fictofriend @my-self-ship-wonderland @mothy-selfships

All Might: i just like the song and it reminds me of him <3

Shadow: we both work at flower stores!!! and its just a cool song

Sunny: its just a really him song and i like knowing hes there for me no matter what <3

See the full post

18 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i saw this and wanted to try it but I didn’t wanna reblog a version I wasn’t tagged in so :,) anyways I’m doing this for toshi <3

Directions: Highlight/Bold the tropes that apply to you and your romantic F/O.

height difference • mutual pining • first kiss • first love • wedding • in-jokes • lgbt+ • family disapproves • friends disapproves • would die for each other • fake relationship • arranged wedding • cuddlers • pda friendly • and they were roommates • secret relationship • opposing world views • opposing personalities • opposing goals • getting a pet • have kids • grow old together • relationship failures • rest head on shoulder • share a bed • token dummies • relationship doubts • they have a song • first date • share a jacket • sharing a blanket • mutual interests • study buddies • bathing together • crash into hello • accidental nudity • laundry • same hobbies • cooking for each other • big fancy gala • sibling rivalry • hair stroking • dancing • laying in the grass • watching stars together • watching the other sleep • shared values • friends to lovers • enemies to lovers • lovers to enemies • childhood friends • slow burn • love triangle • toxic relationship • sitting on each other's lap • can't be together • hugs • forehead touches • neck kisses • car/motorbike rides • compliments • nicknames • falling asleep together • late night talks • gifts

tags: @ninasrandomships @trope-madness @mothy-selfships @rebeccaselfships @my-self-ship-wonderland and anyone else who wants to do this <3 (you also don’t have to if you don’t want to :>)

21 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[vvendyreads]

Fake It 'til You Make It by Laura Carter

Abbey thought that she was about to have the best night of her life. Her boyfriend, who was also her childhood friend, asks her to dinner and she thinks wedding bells are coming. She is shocked to find that instead of a proposal he actually wants to break up and he's been cheating on her with someone else. To make matters worse, she then quickly loses her job. Abbey decides to turn things around by spending all of her savings on 6 months rent in her dream luxury apartment building. While there, she runs into her ex, who is now dating someone who lives in her building. She's saved from embarrassment by her suave star baseball playing neighbor Mike, who has been bugging her since she moved in. When Abbey and her ex are both invited to her parent's vow renewal in Canada, Abbey decides that she needs a fake boyfriend to bring. Mike volunteers. What Abbey doesn't know is that "Mike Thomas" is actually Ted Thomas, Mike's brother who has been hiding in his brother's penthouse ever since his fiancée cheated on him with his business partner. After Abbey mistakes Ted for his brother, he decides to pretend to be him, fooling Abbey and everyone else.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one. I love a good fake dating story. Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. Pros:

Fake dating is always a must read for me. Literally. Tell me a story has fake dating and I'm all in. I love the romantic potential of dating someone you normalize wouldn't in a low stakes way. Even better if the characters initially can't stand each other. How else will they learn to get along? I think this trope is so fun, even if it doesn't really happen nearly as much in real life as media would make us think.

Dual POV: I love getting both characters' perspectives in a story. The great thing about books as opposed to real life, is that you can know exactly what another person is thinking. Especially with how this story goes, I think Ted would have been pretty irredeemable if we hadn't gotten his POV.

Interesting settings: I enjoyed the diversion to Canada. This book was set in New York, which I think is having its moment right now. The author didn't really explore that setting much, so I appreciated that she moved the characters to a different location, so we could at least explore that.

Cons: (Unfortunately, there are more of these than pros for me)

Mistaken identity- I really hate mistaken identity. I honestly wish I had known going in that it would be a part of this book, as I may not have read it. I included it in my summary but the official one for the book only describes Mike/Ted as a "hot neighbor". I would have forgiven the mistaken identity if it had been corrected quickly, but he doesn't come clean (read: get found out) until nearly the end of the book, which made me anxious and frustrated for most of the story. I didn't buy his reasons for keeping up the ruse to Abbey.

Too many Britishisms: I understand that Boldwood Books is U.K. based, so this may be nit-picky and not an actual issue. I would maybe buy that Canadians might have similar ways of speaking to British people and many characters were Canadian, so perhaps those instances were normal. That's all fine, but when the same phrases were coming out of an American character's mouth, it took me out of the story. The American born Ted said things such as "feck" and "join the queue" and "a kilo of strawberry jelly" to name a few. I feel like an editor could have caught this (or hope that one will now!)

Ted was very superficial. He spent a lot of time rationalizing that he wasn't this shallow guy but the brother he was pretending to be is, so he must also act this way to be him. He spends so much time focusing on the looks of the Abbey and his ex and using this as a way to judge them. Ted also spends much of his initial interactions with Abbey deciding that she is superficial for doing really normal things, which felt very hypocritical. He's supposed to be the nerdy, shy guy but he just came off as a jerk. He also repeatedly mocks Abbey's period underwear that she accidentally dropped in front of him, which made me kind of hate him.

The book felt somewhat incomplete. There were story lines that started but didn't go anywhere. For example, Abbey desperately needed a job. A legitimate company wants to offer one and tells Ted to have her contact them, but he never tells her about it. The book also ends pretty quickly. I would have appreciated an epilogue to know how it ends.

Neutral?

I think that my ultimate issue is that this felt like a mid 90s-early 2000s chick lit/romance. The characters fell into a lot of the boxes of this time: the guy is a jerk, the girl is in distress, there's lots of talk of shopping and a glamorous life. This kind of book was incredibly popular and I'm sure that plenty of people will appreciate it. I think there was a lot of potential in this book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey

Fairytale feel to a fake-date trope in which a couple goes to a family wedding. The relationship is fake, the girlfriend is not a girl, the boyfriend is not into girls, and the family is Montana conservative. There are secrets to keep, problems to solve, a wedding to save, family drama, and a come-out for one character that was not as he had ever planned it to be.

NOTES:

* This was an easy-to-read, quick-paced, fun frolic with some big issues alluded to and some that were tackled.

* I loved Daniel-Daniella-Lala in all of his appearances. He was wise, aware, knew himself, took no guff, and was also caring, kind, generous, and a person anyone would want as a friend.

* James, the brother of the bride, grew quite a bit in the story and began to come into his own. I loved his interactions with his sisters and how he became more aware of himself and others.

* Holly and her fiancé were good people and so was little sister Margot.

* Grace, mother of the bride, was someone that may have had a good heart lurking somewhere underneath all of her commandments, expectations, and pushiness…maybe.

* Phillip, father of the groom was…a bit nebulous but spoke his mind from time to time.  

* Weston was someone I would never want to meet…anywhere

* Interesting and sometimes “unbelievable” but eye opening and made me think

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? I think so

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

The Wedding Date meets The Birdcage in this laugh-out-loud gay romantic comedy from Andrew Grey He’s here to slay…but will he stay? James Petika is living the single gay life he always wanted. A police officer in Chicago, he has a good job, good friends—and he’s two thousand miles away from his family’s expectations. He also needs a date for his sister’s wedding in Missoula, Montana, but his family has no idea that he’s gay, and he’d like to keep it that way. The solution? Daniel Bonafonte aka Lala Traviata, the queen of the Chicago drag scene. Lala is the real she can sing, she can dance—and she can throw more shade than a solar eclipse. One drink and plenty of dishing later, Daniel agrees to help James out and be his incognito date to the wedding. Daniel’s drag-diva skills are put to the test right away, with the bride’s ill-fitting wedding dress, a groom who’s a danger on the dance floor and more drama than auditions for a gay men's chorus. Faking this relationship—and ignoring the very real feelings developing between them—might just be the performance of their lives.

[dorireads]

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas || Book Review

Star Review: 3.5/5⭐

Tropes: Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Workplace Romance

Honestly I don't think this book was as bad as everyone is saying it was. It wasn't my favorite by far, honestly one of my least favorites, but it wasn't horrible.

Catalina and Aaron have been working together for years and they've hated each other for the same amount of time. Until Catalina needs an emergency date for a family member's wedding in Spain, where her ex will be attending with his fiancé. It doesn't help that she lied to her entire family that she had an American boyfriend. Of course, Aaron ends up being her date.

The premise of this book was intriguing and I read a few reviews, so I decided to read it as my third romance book ever. It honestly wasn't an amazing read, some scenes genuinely made me uncomfortable (see under the cut!) and some parts were super cringey and gave a big hallmark movie vibe.

For a recommendation, I'd say read it if you're into an unrealistic and cheesy romance that's not super hard to read.

spoilers under the cut!

Can we talk about the scene where they make Aaron not wear a shirt while they play soccer? It made me so uncomfortable the way that his size and his body were constantly described in detail throughout this entire book.

That, and the amount of times that Aaron's full first and last name were used when they definitely could've just used his first name. Literally like thirty times.

These characters have a lot of deep conversations and I really liked that, they showed trust and connection with one another and had good conversation. It was nice to read. But then you immediately get thrown into a weird situation.

Like, the whole auction situation, the aforementioned soccer situation, the entirety of the bachelor and bachelorette thing if I'm being honest, it just felt like this novel wasn't trying to be very realistic. Which is fine, it's fiction, but it felt like something out of a Wattpad fanfiction.

I definitely enjoyed Armas' newest book, The American Roommate Experiment, more than this one. There should be a review on my page coming later today!

[sandythereadingcafe]

COVER REVEAL

FLAUNT by Adriana Locke

Flaunt by USA Today bestselling author @authoradrianalocke is coming June 2nd!

Pre-order this roommate-to-lovers romance TODAY!

US: https://amzn.to/3pvFlt7

https://geni.us/VE8XNT2

••••

Add to Goodreads

https://geni.us/FlauntGR

•••••

Blurb:

Looking for a Fake Fiancé

Have you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?

It doesn't matter if they're right. The fact that they had the audacity to say it is what counts.

Hi. It's me. I'm that person.

The man I've been casually seeing told me I'm not "wife material" and should "lower my expectations". Didn't he realize I lowered them the moment I met him for dinner?

Obviously not.

Am I petty? Maybe. Annoyed? Of course. Determined? Definitely.

I need someone to help me flaunt my new engagement—my fiancé couldn't wait to pop the question because I'm that amazing—in his face.

The problem? I don't have a boyfriend, let alone a husband-to-be.

Which brings us to you.

Are you handsome? Successful? A smooth talker extraordinaire?

Are you willing to do all the things that someone madly in love would do?

Putting your hand on the small of my back. Forehead kissing. Acting like I'm a treasure you can't live without. I need you to be prepared to do all those things ... and maybe more.

What do you get out of this? I'm willing to negotiate terms—especially if they include a job and a place to stay. It's a long story.

One night. One event. Let's put on one heck of a show.

From USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author comes a "hot and hilarious!" fake-dating tale between two frenemies that turn into roommates, coworkers, and, ultimately, lovers. Fans of close proximity, one-bed trope, and blue-collar, small-town heroes will fall madly in love with this story.

[theconsofrom-coms]

Unbalanced Power Dynamics, They do affect relationships

In everyday life, there tend to be scandals about how a boss and an employee have been caught in a relationship or, in more extreme cases, even a teacher and student. But when we look into romantic comedies, we also see that this is a very common trope in how everyday people fall in love.

I mean, one of the most common tropes in many forms of romantic comedies, such as movies, books, etc, is fake marriages, in which two people, usually a rich person pays a down-on-their-luck person to pretend to be their partner. And who has the most amount of power in each relationship, the one with either money, authority, or both.

The movies we will be analyzing when discussing the problematic power dynamics in many romantic relationships in rom-coms, "Legally Blonde," "The Proposal," and "Pretty Woman."

Legally Blonde, yes, if you're a "dumb blonde," it is totally fine to harass you...NOT

Legally Blonde is the story of a young girl named Elle Woods, often giving off the impression of a dumb blonde due to her bubbly personality, whose heart was broken, when her long-time boyfriend, Warner, breaks up with her, claiming he needs "a Jackie, not a Marilyn." Pushed by her desire to get back with Warner, Elle takes and passes the LSATs and gets into the same law school as Warner, Harvard Law School. After turning heads, due to her...unusual personality, she starts to make headway in her career as she helps her professor, Professor Callahan, in the murder case of Brooke Wyndham's husband, with the help of newfound friend Emmett Forrest. Though her aspirations of being with Warner are swiftly taken away, as she learns of his recent engagement to a girl named Vivian, she is able to get through it and take her law school career seriously after helping her new friend Paulette with a doggy custody agreement with her ex-boyfriend. After an incident with Callahan, which I will divulge into deeper later on, she decides that no one will ever see her as anything other than a joke. But with encouragement from her new friends and an inspiring professor, she is able to get back into the court and prove Brooke Wyndham's innocence and find the true killer. After which she rejects Warner, graduates from Harvard with honors, and gets engaged to Emmett.

Now, here's the issue and why I bring up this movie as an example of power dynamics. The incident with Callahan was a sexual harassment issue. Callahan tried to take advantage of Elle, with promises of helping her excel in her career. Basically, telling her that the only way a girl likes her will continue to grow in the field is by "Sleeping her way up." She feels intimated, as he is her professor, a man who everyone respects. She, of course, rejects his advances and decides to leave. As she believes him, as he could be right, he is a symbol of authority in the field of law. She has only experienced rejection and underestimation from the moment she crossed Harvard's doors. Thankfully, she is able to overcome her insecurities and succeed in the face of adversity.

The Proposal, blackmail...how romantic...

The Proposal tells the story of a business woman, Margaret Tate, who, because of her cold demeanor, is disliked by her employees. Due to her being Canadian, she is required to maintain a work visa, something that she wasn't able to do. So, she blackmails her secretary Andrew into pretending to be her fiancée in order to stay in the US with a marriage visa. Explaining that if she is deported, all his work as her secretary and his desire to be an editor would all be erased. He agrees to her terms only if she publishes his book as soon as this marriage contract is over. They're constantly questioned by US Immigration Officer Gilbertson over the validity of their engagement, claiming that if it is found out that they're committing fraud, Margaret would be deported and Andrew would be imprisoned. In order to strengthen their validity as a couple, Margaret travels to Andrew's hometown, Sitka, Alaska, where, after many shenanigans, they start to genuinely fall in love. When the time comes for their wedding, Margaret can't go through it and decides to tell everyone the truth. She is to be deported back to Canada. But, soon after, Andrew realizes his true feelings for Margaret and goes after her at the airport and confesses his true feelings for her, and they decide to get married for real this time.

The issue with this film is that the way in which this relationship comes stems from blackmail from a form of authority. Margaret is Andrew's boss and she has full control over whether he is able to advance in a field that he has been working really hard in. He has been busting his rump, catering to her every whim, and the fact that all that hard work could be flushed down the toilet, if he does not agree to her terms and conditions is indeed an abuse of power. So, does he really have any other choice in the matter? No...no, he doesn't, and that is very much a good example of an unbalanced power dynamic in a relationship. Even though Andrew is able to make the arrangement work to his advantage, in real life, it isn't always that easy.

Pretty Woman, a Cinderella story, if Prince Charming was possessive and surrounded by narcissistic creeps

Vivian Ward is a "lady of the night" and Edward is a corporate raider, in order to get Vivian to accompany him to a week-long business trip filled with corporate events, he pays her $3000. She accepts, and is given many gifts and etiquette classes in order to prepare her for the upcoming events. After which, Edward opens up to her and they start to become closer. Something more than a simple client and "prostitute" relationship. After an event in which Vivian talks to David, the son of the man that Edward is trying to make a business deal with, Philip, Edward's attorney questions him about it, and Edward reveals the fact that she is "paid company" in a fit of jealousy. Philip later on, approaches Vivian soliciting her after she is done with Edward, which greatly upsets her. Vivian confronts Edward for revealing their relationship, and Edward admits that he was jealous of David, after which, they sleep together and Vivian breaks her "no kissing on the lips" rule, meaning that she is in love with Edward. After their encounter, Edward tries to make a deal with Vivian in which he'd set her up at a very nice condo, give her an allowance, and visit from time to time, this once again, upsets Vivian, as she still feels like she is being treated like a prostitute, rather than his girlfriend. Vivian later explains that she always had a fantasy of being rescued by a knight in shining armor riding on a white horse. Edward later on meets with James, the man he intended to make business with, and rather than purchase his business, he decides to help him save it. This revelation upsets Philip, as he then goes to Edward's apartment trying to confront him about it, but finds Vivian instead, and tries to r*** her. Thankfully, Edward arrives in time and beats up and fires Philip. Vivian rejects Edward's final advance and decides to return home. Taking her actions into consideration, Edward decides to follow Vivian to her apartment in a white limousine and fulfills her fantasy. And they kiss, asserting their feelings for one another.

This entire relationship is on a basis of unbalanced power dynamics. Edward pays for Vivian's company and decides to change her, to make her "better" in the eyes of his society. He gets jealous whenever some other man even speaks to her, almost like he feels a sense of ownership over her and feels entitled to control her actions. And in a more blunt sense, Philip is a more extreme example of what Edward could've been as he sees Vivian, due to her career, as more like an object rather than a person. At first approaching her with a proposition, and then trying to take it by force. They're both men who feel like have power over Vivian, and that's what makes this relationship unbalanced. Thankfully though, Vivian allow these "gentlemen's" opinions affect the way that she perceives herself, she is a loud and proud woman who deserves as much respect as anyone else.

And so, that is all I have to say in respect to unbalanced power dynamics in romantic comedies.

I'll be back soon with our next topic, what will it be?

I wonder...

[innocentsardonicpotatoes]

Contains Spoilers because I need to rant 🥲

Just finished this after having weeks and weeks of reading block 😸

Actually just had some weird moment of blanking out the past weeks and my brain just buzzed through.

Been played loads of G.I. though haha.

Back to this book:-

Rating: 3.5

Duration of reading: 1 month (oops)

Blurb:

"WANTED: Three fake boyfriends. Must be tall, ripped — and willing to teach me how to kiss.

My name is Layla Thompson, and I am undateable.

Seriously. I’m twenty-eight and I’ve never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I’m starting to lose patience."

Thoughts: Loved the humor, Josh is adorable and MC is relatable with the way she makes a checklist and a ten year plan (I have one too, helps me remain sane)

I understand MC's urgency of finding a partner that one need to date-to-marry before my thirties but that's purely due to my cultural pressure as well as biology.

I liked how Layla had her control over what she wanted in life, and like Zack described her "Shy and Hard" the description resonated with me TO. THE. CORE.

Reading reverse-harem is not a new thing to me since I have few webtoons touching this topic, ie "Men of the Harem" "Seems like I was reincarnated in the world of reverse harem game" and "Her precious jewels" all three of these individual stories have brilliant MCs with a fixed goal and surrounded by talented men that help her in achieving it.

Although SPICY reverse-harem is new and I have an extreme aversion to IMO unconventional sex scenes that is a foursome or threesome, I'm purely a spicy Vanilla bunny here LMAO.

As for the romantic interest I feel like each of the three guys fit the typical stereotypes perfectly: Luke with the age gap and teacher trope, Zack being the comedian with a dead fiancé trope and lastly Josh the foolishly in love and will-do-anything-for-the-girl trope.

The most wholesome of them was obviously Josh as he wished only the best for Layla with maximum platonic feels he could muster despite of his years long pining for her. I have no complaints against him except for holding his feelings back for so long AND allowing his brother to marry that toxic lady (ikyk).

Luke had that ex-fiance trope going on but goodness is someone so blind to notice red flags? Moreover how can you forget a student, moreso a student who was awfully slandered by the entire establishment? He had the whole 'zi was your teacher before it will look inappropriate to date you' and 'She is so much younger than me it wont look right' Yaar if you look at Middle East and South Asia, most men wont even bat an eye when marrying a girl 10+ years younger than them, heh. If the girl is above the age of 25 and says the Holy words of consent, then next is up to you. Dont regret it later.

Zack, OH LORDY ZACK. He is the one who messed up REALLY REALLY BAD. Yet Layla forgives him so quickly. Personally if some guy I liked made me feel like a gaping hole of pleasure and then dump me moments after the big O, man's gonna see that he needs to plead forgiveness for quiet sometime and earn back the trust. No girl deserved what he did to Layla, it was down right messed up, regardless of his guilt to his dead fiancé. Just because you're grieving doesn't give you the hallpass to misuse someone like that. He was really funny and made up the most of the sexual tension for the initial parts, but he fell outta my books afterwards.

Finally kudos to the author Lily Gold for giving a lovely book about a girl as relatable and inspiring as Layla as well as her dork partners who host a podcast that I'd listen to religiously. I do wish there was a bit more about the podcasting and the small business Layla ran, it would be slightly educational about those two job fields.

Or maybe not, since not all books need to educational, it's just my own two cents.

If you have read my random ass book review rant, thank you, I appreciate it.

✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

[lovers-sunlight]

BOOKS I READ IN Q1 2022

(with ratings, opinions, and certainly spoilers)

1. The Love Hypothesis (5⭐)

Adam is the best book boyfriend ever, Olive is so relatable and sweet! Fake Dating is probably my favorite trope, and it's written so well that I felt like it was me falling in love with my professor! The scenes where they were alone, talking from their hearts, are so nice! The PDA is so exhilarating and the spice is amazing! Adam handled the conflict in the end so beautifully and protective! I'm so in love with him!

“If you say another word about the woman I love, if you look at her, if you even think about her - I’m going to fucking kill you.”

2. People We Meet On Vacation (5⭐)

Falling in love with a best friend is honestly my ideal scenario in real life! Alex is amazing, and we can feel his love for Poppy since the first time we see them! Their relationship is amazing, and I'm in love with it! There is a scene of him taking care of her while she's sick... and I cannot even begin to explain how much this makes me giggly and in love! I could not stop smiling the whole time I was reading this book, I felt so seen and loved! Amazing experience!

“I don't think I knew I was lonely until I met you.”

3. A Not So Meet Cute (5⭐)

Enemies to lovers is top tier, there's no denying it! Huxley and Lottie begin their relationship with a mutual interest agreement, she needs money and he needs a fake fiancée! Reading them living this fake relationship, while feelings grow on dual POV is *chef's kiss*! I also want a rich husband to take care of me, and to do the things Hux does to Lottie, I'm not gonna say anything further.

“Eyes trained on mine, he brings my hand to his mouth, places a soft kiss on my knuckles, and then breaks our connection as he backs away.”

4. The Hating Game (5⭐)

I never thought I'd enjoy an office romance, but this one is a Rivals to Lovers romance! Joshua is a dream partner, and the banter with Lucy is immaculate! I genuinely laughed out loud several times reading this book! Also, it has the best first kiss ever! Not to mention he takes care of her while she’s sick and this situation is my soft spot! There are people who might say Josh is a walking red flag, but to be honest, red is my favorite color! Please, I just want a man who loves me so much that he paints his bedroom wall the same color as my eyes, and who keeps every single piece of paper I ever gave to him!

“The first smile Joshua’s ever had in my presence is pressed against my lips.”

5. Beach Read (4,7⭐)

I guess the main subject of this book can be interpreted as romance, but for me was so much more important on the grief and missing someone you love! It is the only book that made me cry this year. The story is beautiful and sad, but also comforting and peaceful. The author had so much sensitivity while approaching the subject of hurt towards someone who’s not in your life anymore, and how to deal with conflicted feelings, like love and betrayal. The romance part of it is really cute, Augustus is so supportive of January and they feel complete together, even when they started their dynamic as rivals in college.  

“I wished I could stay in an emotional cryogenic chamber that would allow me to sleep through the worst of whatever heartbreak I was avoiding.”

6. The Spanish Love Deception (4,7⭐)

This book’s an office romance, and an enemies to lovers one! Mr. Aaron Blackford is a dream, I cannot even begin to describe him! The man bakes his own granola bars, for god’s sake! He takes care of Catalina when she passes out from not eating, and helps her with her work! Although I had some difficulty liking Lina, she became a lot more enjoyable once their agreement was settled. Great book, great romance! I’ve seen people complaining about the duration of the wedding, but it was just perfect for me!

“I’ll give you the world,” he said against my mouth. “The moon. The fucking stars. Anything you ask, it’s yours. I’m yours.”

7. It Happened One Summer (4,7⭐)

I was not expecting a book with such a cute cover to have the best spice I’ve ever read! Brendan is a great man, and he treats Piper with so much care and love! The journey Piper goes through is great to read, it is emotional and comforting, and the outcome is so cute! The miscommunication trope is a bit strong in this book, but the solution is satisfactory enough!

“Your daughter will always have a place in my heart. But Piper owns that heart. She came here and robbed me blind of it.”

8. Hook, Line, and Sinker (4,7⭐)

Just for starts, it is amazing to read this story with snippets of Piper and Brendan’s life, they are so cute together! But back with this book’s plot, I really enjoyed it. Fox’s so cute in love, and insecure a scared, and Hannah knows how to break his emotional walls so well. I love the relationship they build from the friendship they previously had, it felt so real and natural! But besides the great story, the author gave us an amazing epilogue where we see both sisters with their lovers and children, it felt so complete and comforting!

“Fox, listen to me. I don’t care how many different beds you’ve been in. I know you belong in mine.”

9. Promises and Pomegranates (4,7⭐)

So… as I’ve stated before, my favorite color is red… right? This book screams “red flag!” all over it, but I loved every single moment of it! It also showed me things about myself that I had never even though about! The spice is pretty, pretty nice, and the overall plot is interesting enough! Kal’s extremely hot while being violent (don’t judge me!) and I felt exactly like Elena, I’m sure.

“Without her, I feel like one half of a soul, existing aimlessly, waiting for the earth to reclaim me the way I have so many others.”

10. The Kiss Quotient (4,7⭐)

I can’t even begin to explain how much I relate to Stella! This book put questions about autism in my head, not gonna lie! Their romance is so enticing and loving, he’s so delicate with her, treats her like a princess and sew clothes for her, and is so careful! Michael’s the perfect man, he has my heart! Really cute book, with great characters, and overall lovely!

“She didn’t know how to be semi-interested in something. She was either indifferent . . . or obsessed.”

11. Fix Her Up (4,6⭐)

The struggle of being the youngest of the family is really relatable, and Georgie express the feel immaculately, the frustration of not being taken serious or treated like an adult! Travis is a bit annoying, but not in a bad way… it’s part of his character, the jock! The romance is good, the spice is nice, and the resolution of the conflict is cute! Not the way I’d particularly want to be proposed to, but cute nonetheless!

“I’ve met het twice in my life. This time, I was smart enough to fall in love with her.”

12. Delilah Green Doesn't Care (4,6⭐)

Sapphic romance with a single mom! I didn’t thought I’d enjoy it so much! Delilah is the typical brunette character who’s grumpy and hurt, my favorite! The way she begins to develop feelings for Claire almost instantly is really cute. The resolution of the conflict with Delilah’s sister is so good, so heartfelt. The author was really sensitive telling this story, it’s heartwarming and wholesome!

“I’m putting you first, Claire. In case you couldn’t tell, that’s what’s happening here.”

13. Spoiler Alert (4,5⭐)

This story hits close to home for me, being a fat woman who consumes things with an unhealthy obsession! The romance in it is very appealing, it made me imagine myself falling in love with Jensen Ackles… (I’m not proud of it, I know he’s happily married!) Having this in mind, I can say that I don’t really agree with the proportion the conflict between the main couple took. I’d trust Marcus with my life, and April eventually got there with me. It’s a cute story, filled with love and devotion!

“He’d give her love because she deserved it, and because he couldn’t help it.”

14. The Unhoneymooners (4,2⭐)

I’m gonna start by saying that this book had everything to be a five star reading, but Ethan’s behavior towards his brother's assault accusation… I can’t! The way he handled the information, and belittled his girlfriend? It is a great story till this point. The banter is exceptional, the tension during the beginning of the trip, the snowballing of lies, everything is immaculate! But I can’t get over his actions, neither Olive’s decision to forgive him.

“It's so exhausting pretending to hate you.”

15. Tipping the Velvet (4⭐)

The story of a 19th century lesbian who fell in love with an actress, and struggles with her gender? That could be me in a past life! Nan’s journey from the moment she met Kitty, to the moment she really found love with Flo is so hard, so sad, so tragic and filled with suffering! The outcome is good, she does get a happy ending, but the struggles were too much for me, it took me a long time to finish this book… it was an experience… but I did not dislike it!  

“But there was something very appealing about that Fe-Male. I saw myself in it - in the hyphen.”

16. A Court of Thorns and Roses (4,5⭐)

What a rollercoaster! This story is so full of things, a bunch of different vibes all over! Feyre has a hate and fear of Tamlin, which later becomes love and devotion (I would’ve fallen in love with Lucien, tho) and it’s so intense! Amarantha is such a bitch, but Rhys was kinda hot making Tamlin and Lucien kneel for him. Under the mountain was traumatic for me, but the ending was satisfactory! And Feyre got a sick tattoo! Nice!  

"Because I'd want someone to hold my hand until the end, and awhile after that. That's something everyone deserves, human or faerie.”

17. A Court of Mist and Fury (5⭐)

WTF Tamlin??? I loved you!!! Rhys is the best thing that ever happened to Feyre (and to me, tbh) and their bond is so fun to read about! Their mind dialogue is unmatched! This is the best fantasy book I’ve read so far, the plotting with the mortal queens, and the conflict with the king at the end *chef’s kiss*! I love everyone on the Inner Circle, and Velaris is my dream home! Also, I’ve never shipped a couple so much before, I feel like the Suriel!

"You are my salvation, Feyre!”

18. A Court of Wings and Ruin (4,7⭐)

I’m not fan of battle scenes, but this book is immaculate! I felt the tension every time they were fighting! Feyre being a spy and destroying Tamlin’s court is everything I’ve ever wanted to see! The sisters fighting alongside the Inner Circle is amazing, and their father’s death is so sad! Overall this book is amazing, and emotional, I love it! Nothing but respect for my High Lady and my High Lord!

“I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have... the wait was worth it.”

19. A Court of Frost and Starlight (4,7⭐)

This book feels like a reward for all the traumatic experiences I’ve survived on the last three books! I loved it! The dynamic of the Inner Circle is amazing to read, their lives getting back on track and the beginning of planning for permanent peace of all courts! A fun read, like a rainbow after a storm!  

“You were meant to be at my side from the very beginning.”

20. A Court of Silver Flames (4,9⭐)

CASSIAN!!! I can’t begin this with anything else, besides stating that Cassian has me on a chokehold, what a male!!! Nesta is my favorite Archeron sister, I relate to her in a spiritual level! Well, anyway, this book is amazing. Nesta’s trauma and the way she has to learn how to live with it is so inspiring, so sad and difficult, but so real! The spice in this book is amazing, one of the best I’ve ever read! But also, the romance is amazing, the friendships and pure love are so sensitive and wholesome!

“Music was no longer the most beautiful thing in existence. He was.”

21. Throne of Glass (4,4⭐)

Celaena is the best main character I’ve read in my life, she’s so unapologetic rude and confident… I love a good assassin! The premise of this book is quite interesting, and it has a bit of romance in it too! I shipped the wrong couple, tho. The violence is a bit explicit and dark, but it makes sense in the context of the story, which has a good conclusion and enough of space to speculation for where the story is heading to.

“I never intended to escape.”

22. Crown of Midnight (4,6⭐)

This book is much more entertaining than the last one, the story is more personal and I felt a lot more connected to the characters! I don’t usually cry while reading, but I’m not gonna lie, my eyes got a bit wet when Fleetfoot was waiting for Nehemia. I do not like the couple Celaena and Chaol, I just can’t feel anything besides friendship between them! Celaena is fae!!! Celaena is Aelin!!! What a great ending, a great way to keep me curious and excited for the next one!

“Everyone sounded the same when they died.”