Book Recs: LGBT Fake Dating

Wouldn’t be much of a stretch, would it, to say that the fake dating trope is quintessential for LGBT lit somehow. Which is why it was only a matter of time for a fake dating rec list to be posted on the blog.

At the end of this post you will find a few upcoming titles that I haven’t been fortunate enough to read an ARC of yet, but absolutely want y’all to be aware of. And if, like me, you’re constantly on the lookout for fake dating books with trans rep, we’ve been told you should keep an eye out for TJ Alexander’s projects (and follow them on Twitter).

And hey, quite a few of those titles are available on Scribd, so if you want to check out that service but don’t have an account yet, use my invite code to get 2 months for free! (This also gives me one free month.)

How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom

S.J. Goslee
Goodreads
Rep: adopted gay mc, bi Jewish li, poc lesbian side character

Why Should I Read It?

Starting strong with a personal favourite. And the thing about this one is that it just reads like a fic. Which is obviously a compliment, I don’t know why people think otherwise. When I say “reads like a fic”, I mean that there’s a perfect balance between pining and humour, that there’s just enough plot for it to be entertaining but the focus remains on the characters. It’s fun and will make you feel a lot of things!

Fake It

Lily Seabrooke
Goodreads
Rep: bi trans mc, bi mc, nonbinary side character

Why Should I Read It?

Fake It is one of those magical books (and even more magical since it features a fake dating trope) in which the characters… communicate. Not always to the best of their abilities, but they sure do talk about their feelings! It creates an interesting take on the whole fake aspect of their dating, which is to say it doesn’t really stay fake for all that long. But hey, as long as girls are happy and kissing, right?

Boyfriend Material

Alexis Hall
Goodreads
Rep: gay mc, gay li, Black bi side character, South Asian Muslim lesbian side character, gay side characters, lesbian side characters

Why Should I Read It?

Don’t you love those books where someone has to find a fake significant other to improve their public image? It’s the best kind of reason for fake dating! Add to that this book is actually hilarious (which you might have been expecting, given it’s a Hall’s book), even if you don’t like romance just do yourself a favour and read this one for Oliver’s texts alone, they’re a work of art. But while super funny, the book also offers a very healthy and adult relationship, which is great to see.

Love and Other Natural Disasters

Misa Sugiura
Goodreads
Rep: Japanese American lesbian mc, Japanese American lesbian li, Taiwanese American lesbian li, Black bi side character, Japanese American gay side character, Filipino American gay side character
TW: homophobia, mention of parent’s death

Why Should I Read It?

This one gives a great play on the trope, literally turns it on its head. The main character here starts fake dating a girl she has a crush on in the hopes that the perfect dates will make said girl fall in love with her. And the girl is in it to win back her ex-girlfriend, or at the very least make her jealous. (There’s a reason I included this book on my list about messy teens!) There’s also really interesting to read almost meta-commentary here.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown

Talia Hibbert
Goodreads
Rep: Black bi mc, sapphic side characters

Why Should I Read It?

We can all agree that Talia Hibbert writes some of the best romances out there, can’t we. And this one is a great proof. It also understand the fundamental rule of the fake dating trope: the love interest already has a crush on the main character prior to the whole scheme. Which allows for wonderful pining and angst, of course. More than that, which is not surprising for Hibbert’s books, they both respect each other, and it’s visible in basically every scene. What more to ask for?

Never Mine

Bryce Oakley
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mcs, lesbian side characters, achillean side character

Why Should I Read It?

Another book where the fake relationship is supposed to save someone’s public image, but this time it’s a lesbian jock who needs the saving. She also already knows the other woman, because they went to high school together & actually meet again at the reunion. They’re very cute together, their chemistry is very obvious from the start. A very interesting aspect are their relationships with their friends (there are six other lesbians, apart from the main couple!), and how they help them navigate their own relationship.

Dirty London

Kelley York
Goodreads
Rep: lesbian mc, gay side character

Why Should I Read It?

A fake dating trope, sure, but it’s actually a lesbian girl and a gay boy agreeing to pretend to date each other so they can have some peace at school. The wlw/mlm solidarity of your dreams! This is a lovely book about growing up and growing more sure of yourself, about learning to stand up for yourself and for people you care about. And if it’s a little dramatic and over the top at times? Teens often are.

Learned Reactions

Jayce Ellis
Goodreads
Rep: Black gay mcs

Why Should I Read It?

Making the fake dating trope even better by adding best friends to lovers and second chance romance into the mix. Just imagine hooking up with a guy at college and then pining for him for twenty years, as he remains your best friend… The angst is trough the roof! They lowkey build a family before they even realise a family together is what they both truly want, and frankly it’s that focus on the family that shines the most here.

Mutual Benefits

H.P. Munro
Goodreads
Rep: biracial (Martinican & white) lesbian mc, lesbian mc, lesbian side characters, gay side characters

Why Should I Read It?

This will absolutely not be what you’re expecting when you think of a sapphic romance. But at the same time, maybe it’s exactly that? At the end of the day, what’s a more iconic gay experience than figuring out your sexuality as an adult? Like the blurb promises, the novel is full of misadventures and honestly hilarious. It’s the characters who make it such a wholesome read, though; you just can’t help but root for them.

Jilted

Lilah Suzanne
Goodreads
Rep: bi/pan mc, nonbinary mc

Why Should I Read It?

What’s a better cure for being left at the altar, than spending the honeymoon with a random person you met at your own reception’s bar because the stuff assumed you’re actually the happy couple? Especially if your spouse-to-be leaves with said person’s fiance? A little bit of revenge in fake dating can only make things more fun. And truly, the romance that quickly blossoms is a beautiful thing to behold. Still, it somehow feels like a slower kind of book (in a good way; in a way that it’s quiet and tender).

LGBT books with the fake dating trope, coming out in 2022 and 2023:

• I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson (2022)
• The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver (2022)
• Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery (2022)
• Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun (2022)
• Never Trust a Gemini by Freja Nicole Woolf (2023)

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