Unrealistic Expectations is a unique fake-dating romance

Going into a romance book, most of us have unrealistic expectations. That’s why I was so excited to pick up the book: Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher.

When it comes to romance books, I think a lot of us have unrealistic expectations. It might not be for men in general but rather for a situation. Then again, I feel like a lot of people suffer from having misplaced expectations when it comes to relationships.

That’s why seeing a book with this title and stunning cover, I was immediately intrigued. If you’ve read Andie J. Christopher’s books before, you’ll get a good idea of what her heroines are going to be like.

Coupled with my previous knowledge of this author, I knew I wanted to feature this one on Culturess so I’d like to thank Berkley for sending me an ARC so I could read and review it for all of you.

Unrealistic Expectations is a fun, fake-dating romp from Andie J. Christopher.

All good love stories start with a breakup. Wait, that’s not right but Unrealistic Expectations starts with our main character, Jessica being left by her boyfriend of a decade, Luke. We find out quickly that Jessica is a therapist who recently put out a dating book for men to help them be better people which is funny given what happens next.

Jessica goes out with her friends to celebrate her book release and runs into Galvin, an old friend from college. Galvin is reeling after his influencer ex bashed his bedroom abilities on Instagram and he’s not been able to get a date since. The two end up, having fun together with their clothes on and head to brunch the next day.

Of course, they run into Jessica’s editor, Abby who wants them to fake-date as some good publicity for both of them. They agree and from there, the shenanigans begin. Whether they’re going on “fake” dates or just hanging out, it’s clear the attraction is there and so are some unexpected feelings.

While this book did follow the classic formula of a third-act conflict, I enjoyed how Andie J. Christopher handled that with Jessica. Jessica was dealing with a lot, especially as a therapist who had her own emotional baggage to work through. She didn’t always make the best choices but she was relatable. I can’t say I wouldn’t do exactly what she did when it came to a certain scene at the reunion.

Additionally, I loved seeing the character growth of Galvin. He was such a sweet and lovable character from the start. He just needed to do some growing up and seeing him do that was a delight. I just couldn’t get enough of this romance and seeing these two finally get together was so satisfying.

All in all, Unrealistic Expectations was a fun one and I think it’ll bring up a lot of conversation, especially around the book inside a book. Considering that I disliked the first book I read by Andie J. Christopher, I’m happy to say I enjoyed Unrealistic Expectations much more and want to go back and explore her backlist now.

Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher is out now where books are sold.

Will you be picking up a copy of Unrealistic Expectations? Let us know in the comments!