Book Summary: 

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her, as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t forget.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

My Review:

If you’ve read books like Dear Dotty by Jaclyn Westlake or The Girl Series by Lindsey Kelk, you’re already familiar with stories that are categorized as contemporary romances but lean more toward themes of self-discovery and coming of age, with romance playing more of a supporting role than taking center stage. Fake It Like You Mean It follows that same trend. While there is a sweet love story with a little steam, it doesn’t take long to realize that Alzheimer’s is the main character. This book delves deep into how Alzheimer’s transforms the lives of everyone involved – from family, friends, and caregivers (not always one and the same) to those battling a disease that robs individuals of what they hold dear: their memories, their connections, and, in many ways, their sense of self.

What do you do when the woman who means the world to you no longer recognizes you? That has quickly become Elle Monroe’s reality as one call confirms the worst: her grandmother, Lovie, is moving into stage two of Alzheimer’s, requiring around-the-clock care. Stubborn as her grandmother made her, Elle is determined to be there for the woman who raised her. One way or another, she will give Lovie the care she needs. But first, she has to deal with one minor inconvenience. Unknown to her, AngelCare brought in a 24/7 nurse by the name of Adam Wheeler.

She doesn’t want or need his help and is determined to send him packing – until Lovie mistakes Elle and Adam for a younger version of herself and her late husband. To protect her mind, Elle and Adam agree to play along, hoping she’ll forget the next day. The problem? She doesn’t forget. In fact, the stubborn streak Elle inherited is alive and well, pushing Elle and Adam into more and more awkward situations filled with admiration and affection.

Elle has no problem playing pretend for the sake of her grandmother, but when her fantasies start to star a certain home care nurse, Elle may just discover her grandmother isn’t quite done handing down life lessons.

While I enjoyed the story, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Elle. From the first encounter, she came off as pushy and abrasive. It was endearing on the train when she managed to make a love connection, but then she hung up on Angie – the owner of AngelCare – who had called to inform her about what was happening with her grandmother. She was rude to Adam from their very first interaction – the home care nurse she would have known about if she hadn’t hung up on Angie. I get that the initial shock of finding an “intruder” in her bed might have made her defensive, but she continued to be hostile and aggressive toward someone who was simply doing his job. Even when Adam attempted to start fresh, she was still unjustifiably out for blood the next morning. Adam’s attitude was simply a reflection of hers. We know what he does for a living and see how he interacts with Lovie, yet his growing frustration and confrontational attitude toward Elle only exist because she refuses to back down from a nonexistent fight. It was infuriating.

That said, I did appreciate the moments where Elle dropped the tough-girl act and became more relatable. Seeing how distraught she was over what was happening with her grandmother was heartbreaking. But then she’d do something petty, like chewing loudly to annoy her grandmother, and you’d be quickly reminded of your disdain for the character. Despite this, the fact that I adored her by the end shows just how intentional Megan was with her writing.

We were first introduced to armored Elle – the version of her who didn’t let anyone in because, if no one got in, they couldn’t leave. As the story unfolds, we learn just how much loss has shaped her life – from her parents to her grandmother to significant others – whether they left her or she pushed them away to avoid abandonment. When pieces of her armor begin to fall away – through vulnerable moments with Dakota and Liss, or in the flashbacks and memories of her grandmother, Lovie – we start to give her some grace. It becomes clear that her sharp edges existed to protect her softer side, which has taken more hits than one should in a lifetime.

Elle’s internal battle between her heart, mind, and soul when it came to Adam ultimately brought me onto Team Elle. When she finally lets her guard down and allows him to see her for who she really is – or rather, when she accepts that he already sees her and stops fighting it – that’s when we truly come to know her. It’s in these moments that we uncover her “why”: her constant struggle with identity, her being lost in who she is because of the pain she’s endured. It also explains why she loves telling other people’s stories – because she’s still trying to figure out her own. 

I loved the concept of “all or nothing.” Elle’s approach to life had always been black and white – it had to be one way or the other: all in or all out, her way or no way. But as she took care of Lovie, she began to find shades of gray, learning that the in-between could be a safe and meaningful place too. This realization became even more profound when she lost the one thing that didn’t fit neatly on either side of the spectrum, teaching her that embracing the middle ground could be just as rewarding.

The pacing of the book could be described as somewhat slow. While it’s not presented in real time, its day-to-day structure creates a steady, deliberate rhythm that mirrors the nature of caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s. This slower pace serves a purpose. It allows readers to fully grasp the reality that no two days are the same. Skipping ahead or glossing over weeks wouldn’t have been as effective when portraying life with someone who believed every day was “Monday in May.” From the need for routine and the chaos caused by interruptions, to coping with unexpected changes, to the shifts in personality depending on interactions, and those fleeting lucid moments – each aspect is captured in detail to give readers a 360-degree perspective of how much Alzheimer’s takes, not just in general but moment by moment.

I’ll admit, I had a very basic understanding of Alzheimer’s before reading this book, but it did an incredible job of educating, highlighting, and simplifying without diminishing the weight of the disease. It even prompted me to ask more questions, such as, “What’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?” (Spoiler: Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia.)

As I said before, I wouldn’t consider this a traditional contemporary romance. Instead, I would categorize it as women’s fiction because the focus is on Elle’s evolution and growth. It’s a gentle read that doesn’t overwhelm with any one emotion – it’s not too sad, too funny, or too steamy. Instead, it’s a smooth and thoughtful story that takes you on the scenic route to its final destination, making every step of the journey feel intentional and worthwhile. It will make you think and reflect, and the wisdom it imparts – whether through Lovie’s hard truths, Adam’s perspective, or Elle’s realizations – leaves a lasting impact in ways you wouldn’t imagine.