Decoys, Stand-Ins, and Posuers: Fake Relationship Romances

by Bola Babalola

A young woman with a popular student radio show that dishes out relationship advice finds her show and her reputation on the line after she makes out with a man she publicly denounced. They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures.

 by Sara Desai

An Indian-American software engineer, determined to avoid a loveless arranged marriage by her traditional parents, enlists a childhood crush, required to marry in order to secure his inheritance, to be her decoy fiancé.

 by Ali Hazelwood

To convince her best friend that she is on her way to a happily ever after, third-year Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith, who doesn’t believe in long-lasting romance, forms a fake relationship with Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant and soon finds their experiment putting her own heart under the microscope. 

 by Elena Armas

Desperate for a date to her sister's wedding after she's told her family a little white lie about an American boyfriend, Catalina Martin only has four weeks to find someone willing to aid in her deception. Aaron Blackford—her tall, handsome, condescending colleague—surprisingly offers to step in and she begins to realize he might not be as terrible in the real world as he is at the office.

 by Rachel Lynn Solomon

When her struggling radio station needs a new show concept, Shay Goldstein proposes "The Ex Talk"—two exes who deliver relationship advice live, on air. Her boss decides to pair Shay with her newest colleague Dominic Yun and they are perfect co-hosts given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. 

by Seressia Glass

To join the reality show competition Cosplay or No Way, gamer Kenya Davenport, is required to have a significant other. She asks her best friend to roleplay as a couple in love, but when real feelings get involved, it could cost her the best friend she’s ever had.

by Adiba Jaigirdar

When Humaira 'Hani' Khan comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can't be bi if she's only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she's in a relationship...with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita 'Ishu' Dey—an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other.

 by Julie Tieu

Cadence Lim, an important part of the sales team at Prism Realty, sees her friendship with Matt Escanilla, a top broker, escalate into something more when she pretends to be his girlfriend at a family gathering.

 by Rachel Lacey

In need of a date for her brother’s wedding, Lia’s best friend sets her up with fun, gorgeous Grace Poston who agrees to pose as Lia’s adoring girlfriend for the wedding festivities, but, as the weekend progresses, the chemistry they’re faking all of the sudden feels all too real.

 by Jamie Wesley

A reviled reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery and rehabilitate her image. Faking a relationship should be simple, but sometimes love is the most unexpected ingredient.

 by Liz Bowery

When a misleading photo of them goes viral, political consultant Thom Morgan and data analyst Clay Parker—sworn enemies working with a presidential candidate—are forced to fake a relationship to save the campaign, and soon the political turns personal.

by Mia Sosa

Crashing the wedding of complete strangers who don’t belong together, Solange agrees to be the former groom’s pretend girlfriend to make up for her interference, and as they fake date for the benefit of his colleagues, they form an undeniable connection.