Book Summary: 

Everyone gets a glow-up on social media, but Libby Lane’s online persona is the fakest of fakes. Cooked up as a joke by Libby and her best friends, Lillibet is the affluent, healthier-than-thou opposite of her glam-free life on the side of Oahu most tourists never see. The phony fronting is all in good fun, until a real influencer stumbles onto the Love, LillibetInstagram feed and starts making waves.

When Hildy Johnson, the ambitious junior member of a media dynasty, travels to Hawaii to talk to Lillibet about parlaying her lifestyle brand into a job, Libby and her friends scramble to take the make-believe to a new level. Complicating the charade even further is Hildy’s handsome companion, a wildlife photographer named Jefferson Jones, whose keen eye sees more than he lets on.

Between the pretend husband, borrowed goats, a made-up holiday, and Libby’s very real attraction to Jefferson, it’s anyone’s guess which lie will blow their cover first . . . especially since Lillibet isn’t the only one with something to hide.

My Review:

Having written two YA romantic comedy books, Amanda has decided to give her writing chops a new target, dipping her toes into adult fiction by taking on her first classic romance (think Golden Age of Hollywood) and humorous fiction combo. Channeling the essence of “Christmas in Connecticut,” Amanda ties in her love of Oahu and her appreciation of the cinematic masterpieces of the past for this laugh-out-loud, screwball comedy that begs the question: Just how far are you willing to go to make your dreams come true?

Libby Lane may not have what most covet in life—wealth, love, or a career that doesn’t leave her hating herself at the end of the night—but she does have the beauty of Oahu and wonderful friends. Friends with whom she conspired to create an online persona that was supposed to be a joke. The complete opposite of Libby in every way, “Lillibet” was her way to stick it to the rich resort guests she served, taking inspiration from overheard conversations and curating the most nauseating affirmations and the cheesiest introspective moments, all tied beautifully together with recipes from her friend Keoki and photos from her bestie Jean. It was just supposed to be an outlet, a harmless way to burn off some animosity. It wasn’t supposed to garner attention, especially from an influencer who, after a near-death experience, was determined to meet her “real-life inspiration” up close and personal. Along with Jefferson, the wildlife photographer who saved her life, Hildy declares that she needs to celebrate Me-mas with Lillibet to recover from her harrowing ordeal. Suddenly sucked into one of Jean’s brilliant ideas before she can realize what is happening, Libby finds herself in Lillibet’s home with a “husband”, two goats, and one heck of a lie. Trying to keep up the farce while maintaining her sanity, Libby has to find a way to get the job of her dreams from her surprise guest without ruining it all by falling for a certain photographer who can somehow see the real her.

Lighthearted, delightfully humorous, and refreshingly clean, “Hate To Fake It To You” is a wonderful look at just how far someone is willing to go to get what they want out of life. The characters created by Amanda were either individuals you loved to hate (and yes, even then, Uncle Richard and Mr. L had their redeeming qualities) or hated to love (Hildy completely stole the attention in this book, and Jean, while harsh at times, had me cracking up!).

I will say, as much as I wanted to find the humor in the LoveLillibet posts, I have to admit some of them may actually resonate with readers. I felt in those moments, more of Libby slipped out than she intended. The one that comes to mind referred to finding the fun in what you do for work or turning something you love to do (like a hobby) into a business. I can see how, on a superficial level, some would think “easier said than done,” but for many who work to live instead of live to work, finding the fun would be a sunshine among storm clouds. Nothing beat the posts she did as “Sincerely, Libby”—now that’s an influencer I would have followed!

When I originally wrote this review, my biggest concern was the label “contemporary romance” that was being placed on it. Having taken a moment to download the Reading Guide (which contained an author letter) on Amanda’s website, my perspective has completely shifted. I now understand: 1) she essentially retold “Christmas in Connecticut,” 2) her approach was more of the romantic comedy approach of the classics (and as a huge fan of Cary Grant, Jack Lemmon, and William Powell, I can appreciate that), and 3) taking that into consideration, her angle was more of the “screwball” romantic comedy of antics and anecdotes rather than the modern-day take on contemporary romances. All of this changed what would have been a three-star review to a four (potentially five, depending on how the subsequent books play out, but more on that below).

Hildy, Uncle Richard, and Mr. L took so much attention with their larger-than-life personalities that Jefferson, Libby, Jean, and Keoki became background characters to their own stories. While this may not be a bad thing, it did make it seem as if the connection between Libby and Jefferson was a B-story, almost an afterthought that was sprinkled throughout but wasn’t the primary focus until three-fourths of the way in. Again, now having read Amanda’s letter, I understand the writer’s approach was a homage to the classics, so it makes sense when you look at it from that perspective. My concern is that for those who aren’t aware of Amanda’s author letter, their first impression will be the same as my initial one.

Again, and I can’t emphasize this enough, the author letter is what saved this review. Initially, I didn’t care for the way the book ended. This was a slow-burn romance that focused more on the antics between the three friends and secondary characters than it did on the female and male protagonists. When we finally get to the denouement, you expect answers to the voiced doubts expressed by the characters the entire time—How will it work with the distance? What happens in the long term? Instead, we receive an epilogue that is literally the next morning and the book ends, leaving the reader wondering what happens with these two characters. Do they stay together, if so—how? What happens with the magazine? The article? Jefferson vocalized that he is very close to his sister—does he leave Wyoming to be with Libby? Does she leave with him? In short, WHAT HAPPENS?! With that type of ending, the reader is left frustrated because the time spent on the story feels like a wasted investment. All the significant changes are right at their beginnings; we don’t know anything when it ends. Who gave Jean the hickey? Does Keoki’s food truck idea work out? Does Hildegarde (Hildy) successfully start her magazine? The epilogue should have been part of the last chapter, giving way for a better wrap-up that leaves the reader satisfied instead of curious about there being another book (which would explain the plot holes) or unfulfilled. Now, having read the guide, I understand this will be a three-book series. With this knowledge, it may explain why there were so many loose ends. I guess we will have to wait for Book Two to find out as I can’t find anything on it outside of what she references in her author letter.

Focusing now on this being more of a humorous screwball comedy or classic romance versus modern-day/contemporary, we get an excellent view of the transition of Libby, especially in the last few chapters. When she starts to find her own footing, owning the good with the bad, being braver, and taking advice (however cringe-worthy) from Lillibet, we see the effectiveness of it, not only in her own world but with her relationships. Yes, she went nuclear on her life in epic proportions when everyone found out about her and Jefferson, but she almost needed to burn it all down to the ground in order to finally grow into the person she was meant to be.

As her debut adult novel, “Hate to Fake It To You” was a lot of fun to read, even if it had its peaks and valleys which may cause the attention of the reader to ebb and flow. Showing true admiration for the beaches and beauty of Oahu, even if the overall story didn’t captivate its audience, the breathtaking description of the surroundings, the mouth-watering cuisines shared, and the general atmosphere provided demonstrates just how talented Sellet is in bringing a place to life.