The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky

4.5 Stars.

Recommended ages: 18+

Sometimes a fantasy reader needs a romance palate cleanser, and The (Fake) Dating Game served that role very well. It was cute where it needed to be, swoony where it needed to be, heart-wrenching where it needed to be, and romantic where it needed to be. My sole criticism was the use of a trope that I think is a bit overdone in rom-coms, but I'll get to that in a moment.

The (Fake) Dating Game is about Holden James, a guy in his mid-20s whose life isn't where he wants it to be. He's still grieving the loss of his mother, he's working two jobs--retail at an athleisure store and teaching knock-off Zumba at a dance cardio studio. His long-term boyfriend has also just broken up with him in public at a restaurant, right after Holden asks him to audition with him for his favorite game show, Madcap Market, a show he used to watch with his mom. Holden still makes the trip to L.A. to audition for Madcap Market, where he convinces a handsome hotel concierge, Leo Min, to partner up with him to audition--as his (fake) boyfriend.

I'm convinced that 75% of what makes a great rom-com book is banter. If the two leads don't have excellent banter, what's the point? Holden and Leo have great banter which translates to great chemistry. What doesn't make for a good rom-com is the miscommunication trope, and I can gleefully tell you that this trope is not in this book. There were several points in the story where I thought the story could devolve into miscommunication as a drama device, but thankfully, Holden and Leo aren't complete idiots.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how well The (Fake) Dating Game explored grief in the second half of the book. I generally like a bit more substance and depth to my romance books, and this book delivered. For those who may be triggered by the death of a parent, the death occurs prior to the story beginning; however, as mentioned, grief does play an integral role in Holden's character arc.

This book is spicy. I don't need spice in my romance books. In fact, if the choice was between witty banter and cute romantic moments, and a lot of spice, give me the former every day. This book had both. It is definitely a solid 18+ (there are supermarket vegetables involved).

I deducted half a star based on a trope often used in the third act of a romance novel to create tension and drama. To avoid spoilers, I won't name the specific trope, but if you've read enough romance novels, you could probably guess. Luckily, The (Fake) Dating Game doesn't let the trope linger.

Overall, I recommend this book for a fun, feel-good reading experience. I may just need to check out Timothy Janovsky's other books.