Reviewed by Anna Lynn

 

TITLE:  The Fake Boyfriends Debacle

SERIES:  Frat Brats of Santa Barbara #1

AUTHOR:  Hayden Hall

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  254 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 14, 2022

BLURB:

We think we’re fooling everyone with our fake relationship, but maybe we are the only fools around.

Caleb

Nobody ever looks past the mask I wear. Nobody bothers to scratch the surface. Not until I meet Jayden Harris, the adorably bossy scholarship student with a razor-sharp focus and an unbreakable determination to be the best of us all.

He says he doesn’t have time for dating. He says I’m just a player. Yet every chance we get, we orbit one another. If I could prove to him that I’m worth falling in love with, he might change his mind.

But asking him to be my fake boyfriend for a massive family gathering probably wasn’t my greatest idea. Dad is tearing us apart and my will to fight for control over my life is fading. My plan is ruined.

We’re a lost cause, but I just…can’t…let him go.

Jayden

It was just a one-time thing. And then a two-time thing. And a three-time thing… Before I know it, I’m in his fancy car, heading to the Wine Country for an extended weekend. My mission? Be the loving boyfriend you bring home to meet the parents.

I’m risking my scholarship and my future at the elite Highgate Academy for a charming stranger in need of a boyfriend. Why? I wish I could tell you. All I know is that Caleb’s funny, hot as hell, and has the most adorable secret ever.

But there’s more to him than I imagined. The wealth he enjoys traps him; his father controls him. And he thinks I’m the key to his freedom.

I’m doing my best to convince everyone that we’re a couple.

But maybe I’d be wise to remind myself that we are not.

REVIEW:

I have read a few books written by Hayden Hall before, and I love the fact that they are low-angst which we sometimes need after reading some heavy ones. They are also sweet and the characters are endearing.

 

The fake boyfriend trope is one of those tropes that I find very interesting and exciting. You just never know what is going to happen during one of the events they will attend as fake boyfriends. And of course, I always look forward to the time when they realize that for them it is not “fake” anymore. And when they start to develop these feelings, that is when the real story begins.

 

What started out as a one-night stand became something else entirely. When they met at a party before classes began in their college, the attraction was instant. I honestly think that having a one-night stand made the attraction even sweeter. It made everything straight forward, just a one-night stand, no strings attached, not a chance of developing feelings.

 

Caleb is one those young men who has everything. Jayden is in this school because of a hard-fought scholarship, he cannot afford to be distracted and he cannot afford to have feelings for the person he only agreed to have a one-night stand with. But it is not just him, Caleb totally feels the same way for him. But as Jayden finally told him, he is in this college to finish his degree, to work as well in order to have spending money not included in the scholarship. He just cannot afford not to.

 

Caleb may first appear to be a spoiled, rich brat, but in reality, he is quite the opposite. He harbors a great love for acting. Sadly it is something of a secret, not even his friends know about it. He has only told Jayden. He even invited Jayden to one of his plays where he was the main character. And he is really good.

 

Jayden’s dream of finishing his degree stems from a less-than perfect young life. He wants to be able to stand for himself, be a success. But at the same time, he also cannot discount how he is starting to feel about Caleb. So when Caleb offers him a chance to get away from it all for five days and just pretend to be his “fake” boyfriend, he accepted it. It is challenge to pull off something like this, facing Caleb’s ultra-rich family and providing Caleb a much-needed respite from his family, especially his father.

 

At the onset of their first meeting, they have been honest with each other. They know that they cannot be together, they have totally different interests, although it is also one of the things that keeps them interested, being opposites.

 

I love how this story was written. I love the character build up, especially Caleb’s. Your initial impression of him couldn’t be more wrong, as I found out myself. He is caring, sweet and he doesn’t let being rich dictate how his personal life unfolds, especially in school where he is as far away from his father as he possibly could. And the fact that he wants to be an actor, most of all, surprises me. It is a humble profession being a stage actor, it takes a lot of hard work and there is a big chance you will never be discovered and make it to the big plays in big venues. But Caleb is fine with that, he just wants to act.

 

Congratulations to author Hayden Hall, this book is amazing! I look forward to the rest of the guys getting their HEAs.

 

RATING:

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