Fake the Game

Vancouver Tridents, Book 2

De: Julia Jarrett

Narrado por: Heather Firth, Dane Anderson

I’m the bad boy of baseball. And she’s the good girl who’s meant to repair my image. Falling in love with my pretend girlfriend is not part of the plan…

My life is a mess. My career is in serious jeopardy because of one stupid decision that had disastrous results. I’m stuck on the injured list, for who knows how long, and losing endorsements because of my reckless behaviour.

It’s only a matter of time before my team decides I’m too much trouble to keep around.

The last thing I should be doing is swooping in to rescue a perfect stranger from some jerk at a bar—because of course a photo gets taken of her in my arms.

Now the last shot I have at holding onto everything that matters, is a curvy redhead who has no idea who I am and isn’t all that impressed by the mess I’ve thrown her into.

For some reason Sadie agrees to help me, and now I’m forced to spend time with a woman who might be the only person to see the real me. A lot of time. Even more so when she moves into my apartment.

With every fake date we go on, her warmth and smiles start to chip away at the ice around my heart. But what can I offer a woman like her? I’m nothing but a reckless asshole and a cocky baseball player with a past I’d rather no one knew about. I don’t let people get close to me, I don’t do relationships.

But when our arrangement comes to an end, I can’t bring myself to walk away.

How can I convince my fake girlfriend to give me a real chance when the secrets from my past won’t stay hidden?

©2024 Julia Jarrett (P)2025 Julia Jarrett

Sweet Fake Dating Love Story!

Fake the Game is book two in Julia Jarrett’s Vancouver Tridents series. Maverick’s story intrigued me when he was introduced in Break the Rules. A misunderstood bad boy with a turbulent past and a lot of heart? Yes, please! Sadie is a compassionate, sweetheart FMC. Sparks fly when Mav rescues Specs from a run-in with her toxic ex. I loved how Sadie helped him heal past wounds and Mav helped her regain her confidence. A mutually beneficial fake relationship, a grumpy & guilt-ridden ball player, and a beguiling & brilliant beauty make for a charming romance.

Heather Firth and Dane Anderson were terrific as Sadie and Maverick. Heather gave a passionate and delightful performance to bring Sadie to life. Dane’s growly & gruff timbre was perfect for the broken, crunchy cinnamon roll Maverick. I enjoyed the balance of Heather and Dane’s styles and energy. These two make a wonderful duo, and I hope to hear more titles with this narration team soon!

i got swept away with Maverick & Specs!

Julia Jarrett is a new-to-me author; Fake The Game is the second book I've listened to of hers, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first in this series, Break The Rules.

Maverick and Sadie start out as a fake relationship for a publicity stunt to clean up his image, but there is so much more to this bad boy of baseball than what the public thinks of him! Little by little, we get to see the real Maverick underneath the facade, and the guy runs deep. I loved the vulnerability he showed with Sadie. The guy is carrying around some major trauma as a result of his childhood — and while his past ultimately impacts their relationship moving forward, it doesn't take him long to realize how good of a thing he has with Sadie and put in the work to make sure he can right the wrong he made.

Sadie gets something out of their fake relationship as well: getting her ex off her back. She grows so much during her time with Maverick, and it was wonderful to see her stand up to her slimy ex. (And I think when Maverick went all alpha on him, it was one of my favorite scenes!)

Narrators Heather Firth and Dane Anderson are not ones that I am very familiar with, but I completely got swept away listening to them. Dane's deep, growly voice was mesmerizing; I loved listening to him capture Maverick's angst, insecurities, and trust issues. Likewise, Heather did a great job in voicing Sadie's genuine care for Maverick as she got to know the man underneath the bad boy,

I am really enjoying this series! I can't wait for the next one. I received an advanced listening copy and voluntarily left a review.

I love this one

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Spice Level: 🌶🌶/ 5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Emotional:🥺/5
•Re-Listen/Re-Read: Yes
•Platform: Audiobook and Ebook
•Trope: Baseball romance, Fake Dating, bad boy/good girl. Close proximity, Opposites attract.


• Thoughts:
Maverick and Sadie were absolutely adorable. I loved this couple so much! They complemented one another. I loved the Opposites attract type vibes. Him the bad boy and her the good girl! He brought out a side in Sadie that dared her to be who she was, and let her see she was worthy and perfect. Sadie grounded Maverick. She was so good for him! She understood him better than anyone. Taking him by surprise, with her unconditional love. Watching both of them transform and turn into this swoony couple was epic!! They really were a great couple!

NARRATOR THOUGHTS: Dane Anderson and Heather Firth
•Dual Narration
•Listening at a 1.5 speed.
Heather Firth is a new to me narrator and I liked her. She did such a great job! Dane Anderson also did a very good job. Honestly this book and the narration where just amazing. I enjoyed this one so much! I recommend!

•Recommend note:
I will always encourage people to read what makes them happy. If it sounds good, read it! My reviews are just that, my opinion. Happy reading, friends.

fake the game

Fake The Game is full of chemistry, tension, and just the right amount of drama, with a hero who's hard to resist and a heroine who challenges him at every turn.

The narration by Heather Firth and Dane Anderson? Absolutely on point. Heather nailed Sadie's voice, giving her warmth and sass, while Dane brought Maverick's cocky, tortured charm to life. Their dual narration was seamless and made the slow-burn romance even more captivating. They really knew how to hit all the emotional notes and kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you're into steamy, Grumpy / Sunshine romance with a dash of redemption, this one’s a must-listen.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Steamy, heartfelt and swoony

I love when the tattooed, grumpy bad boy finds his sunshine. “Fake the Game” is a steamy, heartfelt and swoony fake dating baseball romance that I couldn’t stop listening to once I started.

Maverick King is the bad boy of the Tridents and is on the IR after an accident that not everyone knows the truth about. Now he’s on the hot seat with the team and needs to prove that he’s serious about playing. When out one night, he steps in to save a woman who was getting harassed by a man. Sadie is done with her ex and is happy when Maverick steps in to help her. And the last thing she was expecting the next day was the press getting a picture and saying that they were together. Maverick’s agent thinks this is what will help with his image so the two agree to start fake dating.

I absolutely loved Maverick and Sadie. Grumpy/Sunshine will always be one of my favorite troupes. Maverick is closed off and has a wall built around him but he had a tough childhood in foster care so he kept people out for that reason. He doesn’t let many people in except his foster brothers who he was still close with. Under that is a guy who is a born protector and I loved how he was that way instantly with Sadie. Sadie has a big heart and I loved her from the beginning. She is genuine and someone I could be friends with in real life. When they first started fake dating, it was awkward and that made me happy because it made it more realistic. But once they got to know each other, the chemistry started building and I couldn't wait for them to give into their feelings. Sadie was the safe spot Maverick needed and he was the confidence she needed. They balanced each other out perfectly and I loved them together so much.

Dane Anderson and Heather Firth narrated as Maverick and Sadie and I loved listening to them so much. Dane’s narration was growly and protective just like Maverick. Heather was amazing as Sadie, she brought her genuine and caring personality to life perfectly. These two were great together and the perfect choices to bring this audiobook to life.
L