Faking the Game

Paradise Bay Billionaire Brothers, Book 1

By: Claudia Burgoa

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Mackenzie Cartwright

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

From USA Today best-selling author Claudia Burgoa comes this page-turner fake-relationship-office romance.

What happens when the guy who’s afraid of love finds himself in it?

Know what they say about never mixing business with pleasure? Yeah, no.

The one about never sleeping with your boss?

I ignored it too.

I blame Aslan Spearman, the boss.

He’s a wealthy playboy who doesn’t believe in happily ever after.

He’s demanding, a workaholic, and cynical.

He’d rather have a root canal than be in a romantic relationship.

Do you want to know a secret? I think he’s afraid of love.

So when he has to go to the Spearman family reunion in Hawaii with his girlfriend, he’s in big trouble.

That’s what happens when you lie to your family about your relationship status.

It wasn’t important—until now.

What does he do?

He comes to me, his VP of Operations and right hand for assistance.

After all, I’m a problem solver.

Except my personal life is complete chaos.

So we make a deal. I’ll be his girlfriend if he helps me solve my problems.

It’s a win-win situation, right?

I mean, how hard can it be?

It’s not like I plan to fall in love.

©2022 Claudia Burgoa (P)2022 Claudia Burgoa

Faking the Game

Faking the Game kicks off a new series, but if you've read Claudia Burgoa before you may recognize some familiar names.

Aslan is a workaholic who says he doesn't believe in love. He also lied to his family about being in a relationship and they are expecting him to bring his girlfriend to the family reunion.

Keaton works for Aslan and takes care of her sister, too. She ends up being his fake girlfriend for the reunion. It was easy to see from the beginning that the 'fake' part of the relationship wouldn't last too long. They had lots of chemistry and a strong connection.

Claudia did a great job developing the characters and their relationship. This book has humor, sweet and swoony moments, and romance all wrapped up into a fun read!

Narrators Were Awesome

I really enjoyed this audiobook narrated by Jason Clark and McKenzie Cartwright. They both did a great job bringing Aslan and Keaton to life. The relationship between the two was complicated in the fact that Aslan was Keaton’s boss. They had developed a friendship through the years and had romantic feelings for each other, but they never admitted it. Aslan has to go to a huge family reunion, and he begs Keaton to be his fake girlfriend.

This type story has been done over and over again, but it’s still fun to read about their attraction and when they finally realize how much they mean to each other.

I enjoyed Claudia‘s books, but this one wasn’t really a comedy. I didn’t laugh at this one as much as I did her other audiobooks because it had more deeper problems. It was still very good and I do recommend it.

The narration was spot on

After reading the prequel, My Favorite Night I was excited to see where M Burgoa would take us as she brings the Spearman’s and the Aldridge families together and book 1, Aslan Spearman’s story was everything I expected and so much more.
Jason Clarke and MacKenzie Cartwright did a fantastic job bringing this story and the characters to life, the banter was witty and perfect and the love and passion was spot on. Faking the Game was one of those listend that I will listen to again and again.
Aslan needs a girlfriend to take to the family reunion in Hawaii and who better to ask than Keaton his VP of Operations after all she has worked for him forever and they are friends so surely she can pull off being the fake girlfriend. Well problem is there are feeling that have been hidden over the years so what happens when they spend time in a villa with only one bed, what happens when lines are crossed, will love win the day or will friendships be destroyed……..
This book ticked all my boxes, it’s full of witty banter, it full of love and passion but it’s the families that take this book to another level with their strong loyalty and family values. If you love small town romances with the perfect mix of love and humour, visit Paradise Bay and catch up with thr billionaire brothers and their partners. A perfect start to the new series.

Love when Jason and Mackenzie narrate together

Aslan and Keaton's journey of friendship. I have been looking forward to learning more about Aslan and Keaton. I won the paperback a few months ago. I am slowing getting caught up on the entire collection. This was a sweet story. Love learning more about the siblings. The story comes alive the more I read/listen to them.

outstanding narration made this a 5+ star listen!

How do you improve upon an already 5 star rated book?? You add 2 incredibly talented narrators like Jason Clarke and Mackenzie Cartwright. They brought Aslan and Keaton to life and made this audiobook even better (somehow!!) than the ebook!


Claudia has become a favorite author of mine for a reason. Each of her books are a mix of sweet, sexy and sometimes a little angsty. This book is that and more!

I loved Keaton and Aslan ( and the rest of the Spearman family).

You will laugh you butt off , swoon and even get all in your feels!

This was a great kickoff to a new series!!

4 1/2 stars. Enjoyed the narration and story

4 1/2 stars for me. I enjoyed this story. Keaton and Aslan were a power duo on the work front. Both had personal issues that were getting out of control. Keaton was trying to do the right thing for her family. Aslan was trying to avoid his mother. Circumstances pushed the two into a deal to help the other out. They tried to keep their hearts out of it, keep it business. Needless to say, things did not go smoothly. I was pulled into the story from the start, rooted for this duo, and had a couple moments of tears. Worth the read.

The narration of Jason Clarke and Mackenzie Cartwright made this story more enjoyable. I loved the inflections between the characters, by both narrators, as they showed the emotions of everyone.

Fabulous Story & Narration🎧 Charming & Heartfelt!

Claudia Burgoa pens another fabulously delightful romance novel, a fake relationship office romance that morphs into something much more. The story captivated my attention from start to end, it is the type of book once you pick up you do not want to put down because you need to know what happens next. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they were easy to care about too. Aslan Spearman, a billionaire business executive, who has no problem facing the challenges to run a business but he can not face his mother and come clean with her, to keep her off of his back about dating he told her he had a girlfriend and now she wants him to bring said girlfriend to the Spearman Family reunion. He plans on getting out of going, but another idea is to bring someone who will pose as his girlfriend. Keaton Nealy is the VP of Operations at Spearman and is Aslan’s right-hand person and is great at everything she does, often working late hours, just as Aslan does. While her work life is great, her home life is quite the opposite, she has a lot on her plate and is struggling to stay afloat. Unfortunately, it all comes tumbling down and when Aslan finds out, he is determined to help her out. A proud Keaton does not like to take handouts or to have to owe anyone anything, but with reluctance she accepts his help and then it comes to him, the perfect solution to his reunion dilemma, to have Keaton come as his fake girlfriend. Keaton is hesitant because she does not want to ruin their work relationship or jeopardize her job, but Aslan counteracts all her fears. I loved how everything played out in this book, the story is beautifully plotted with plenty of drama, heartfelt emotions, some amazing dialogue and witty banter and a smoking hot romance. Also loved the family dynamics and the camaraderie with his siblings, especially amongst triplets and his Mom who was hilarious too. Claudia Burgoa, thank you for another wonderful story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the amazing narration, Jason Clarke and MacKenzie Cartwright deliver an outstanding performance, bringing the characters and their story to life. They had a complete understanding of the characters they portrayed, giving each a voice that is a perfect fit to that character’s persona and were believable in every role they played. Jason Clarke nailed it as Aslan, grasping the complexity of his character completely. MacKenzie Cartwright’s Keaton was spot on, grasping her strength and determination and her insecurities when she showed them both were great at performing the roles of the secondary characters as well. You could hear how much heart these two put into their work as they captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into their performance. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another fabulous listen!

Fake love turned real, and healing hearts.

This book was about healing your heart and letting yourself love. It is funny but has lots of feelings in it too. Keaton and Aslan love each other but are both afraid to admit those feelings for fear of losing what they have. Keaton has had to deal with and handle more than anyone should at a young age and now as she is older she is cynical about life and what it will throw at her. Aslan too doesn't believe there is that special person out there for him as he had to deal with losing his father at a young age and then it seems the females in his life only want him for his money. When he needs Keaton to pretend to be his fake girlfriend it suddenly occurs to him that she has been his one for a long time, he just never admitted it. Now to convince her they belong together.

Great characters and a touching story. I laughed and almost teared up a time or two. I really enjoyed it.

Jason Clarke and Mackenzie Cartwright were perfect for this book. They became the characters and brought them to life. Absolute perfection for me.

I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Even Better In Audio

I loved reading this book so getting to listen to it brought to life by the talents of Jason Clarke & MacKenzie Cartwright made me love these characters even more. Aslan and Keaton are perfect together. Ms. Burgoa's books include humour, sibling banter, HEA and the importance of family.

Finding love

The Spearman family is very large, and into each other's business. So when Alan Spearman's mother pressures him to find a wife, he fakes it.

Jason Clarke and Mackenzie Cartwright are the narrators and they did a wonderful job. The pacing, the way they gave life to each character, and their voices added another layer to the story.

Aslan took over the family business after his father died and has been a workaholic ever since. Plus, he was burned in a relationship years ago and has closed off himself to love. The one woman he is comfortable with is Newton Nealy, his VP of Operations. Keaton is in dire straits financially and when Aslan discovers how bad it is he proposes she pose as his girlfriend and he will help her with her finances. Keaton reluctantly agrees, with stipulations about physical contact. But Aslan pushes her limits every chance he gets.

I loved the way Alan has to carefully tread water, frequently saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. His mother is a force to be reckoned with. She really just takes over everything. Keaton is strong in business but so wounded emotionally that she doesn't trust anyone with her heart. It was difficult to see her struggles with her mother and sister.

I love the Spear man family and this book is now one of my favorites. It isn't necessary to have read any of the other books, it's complete on its own.