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Lucy Lennox
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May Archer
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Fakers (Licking Thicket Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lucy Lennox (Author), May Archer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 4,367 ratings

Brooks Johnson’s Words To Live By:

When returning to Licking Thicket, TN, for the first time in ten years to reunite with your nosy neighbors, heart-broken ex-girlfriend, and matchmaking mama who never quite believed you were gay, it’s best to bring a fake boyfriend as backup...

Just don’t be surprised when your ex-girlfriend does the same.

And when her incredibly hot fake boyfriend becomes the one island of calm in a sea of bovine-based insanity, it’s best to exercise caution… especially when he pushes you up against the rough barn wall to check you very thoroughly for splinters...

Just don’t be surprised if you fall head-over-hooves in love with him.

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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Licking Thicket
  2. Print length
    342 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    June 30, 2020
  6. File size
    2.1 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. “Big Daddy Brooks,” Paul said, staring up at me with a wide, adoring smile. I was going to kill him slowly.
    Highlighted by 210 Kindle readers
  2. “There are moments in our lives that define us. Moments where we have to make a choice that will change the path of our future. They come upon us suddenly, don’t they?”
    Highlighted by 210 Kindle readers
  3. “Not gonna lie to ya, Brooks, havin’ money’s real nice, especially when you know what it’s like to go without. But having a person who sees you for who you are and not who you’re pretending to be? That’s priceless.”
    Highlighted by 168 Kindle readers
  4. “Mal. Even if I only had you in my arms for the length of one dance at a club, I think I’d growl and snap at any other man who even looked at you long enough to take your drink order.”
    Highlighted by 163 Kindle readers
  5. Because only in Licking Thicket could my ex-girlfriend’s fake ex-boyfriend become the very real love of my life.
    Highlighted by 158 Kindle readers
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0892N2YDD
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 342 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Licking Thicket
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 4,367 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Lucy Lennox

    Lucy Lennox

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    Lucy Lennox is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifty gay romance titles including the GoodReads Hall of Fame winner Wilde Love. Born and raised in the southeast USA, she is finally putting good use to that English Lit degree she earned before the turn of the century.

    Lucy enjoys naps, pizza, and procrastinating. She stays up way too late each night reading romance because it’s simply the best.

    For more information and to stay updated about future releases, sales and audio news and to grab some free and bonus reads, please sign up for Lucy’s author newsletter on her website at Lucy Lennox dot com or to stay in the know, join her exciting reader group, Lucy's Lair on Facebook.

    See more on the author's page
  2. May Archer

    May Archer

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days planning vacations, mainlining diet soda, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and when all other forms of procrastination fail, writing it. She also writes MF romance as Maisy Archer. Visit her website at may archer dot com to sign up for her newsletter to hear about sales and upcoming releases, freebies and behind the scenes info and more! Or join her Facebook group, Club May!

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4,367 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this book's humor, particularly its clever puns that make them laugh so hard their stomachs hurt, and appreciate its swoon-worthy love story with an outrageous yet heartfelt plot. Moreover, the writing quality receives praise for its wordplay, and customers love the characters, with one noting how the dialogue pulls readers into their lives. Additionally, customers find the book endearing, with one describing it as "cute with a side of dirty," and appreciate its low-angst nature as a great stress reliever.

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184 customers mention "Humor"168 positive16 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, which is chock-full of puns that make them laugh so hard their stomach hurts.

"...and draw you into the fictional worlds they create, with skill and humor (Lennox sometimes over uses the humor, but not in this book), making you..." Read more

"...upon that and peppered a strong premise with exciting characters, outrageous humor, super-steamy sexy times, angst, familial disdain, and distrust..." Read more

"...but the first half or more of this book is very cleverly chock-FULL of puns, word-play and double entendre on that name...." Read more

"...This was a swoony, hilarious, fun, sweet, steamy, heart warming story with very little angst...." Read more

113 customers mention "Romance"113 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romantic elements of the book, describing it as a swoon-worthy love story with a sweet journey of love and happiness.

"...wonderful people; the leads and top supporting characters are fun, interesting and really make you understand and care about their situations,..." Read more

"...a strong premise with exciting characters, outrageous humor, super-steamy sexy times, angst, familial disdain, and distrust and a baby...." Read more

"...leave - it makes for more three dimensional characters and more well rounded storylines. This was done perfectly here...." Read more

"Cute story but very slow burn. Spice level 🌶 🌶...." Read more

106 customers mention "Readability"102 positive4 negative

Customers find the book delightful to read with an awesome HEA, and one customer mentions it's a great summertime read.

"...The book is designed to be a pleasant, escapist read and it delivers big time...." Read more

"...It had me snickering, wincing, and LOLing in delight. It works well because our home boy is a great character, and his love interest is a smart-..." Read more

"...I'm going to get small town shenanigans, steamy scenes, and a satisfying HEA...." Read more

"...Yes, but not to absolutely pornographic extremes. Well done, I enjoyed the characters and would read more from this author." Read more

89 customers mention "Character development"85 positive4 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, finding them likable and humorous, with one customer noting how the writing draws readers into their lives.

"...with wonderful people; the leads and top supporting characters are fun, interesting and really make you understand and care about their situations,..." Read more

"...the authors built upon that and peppered a strong premise with exciting characters, outrageous humor, super-steamy sexy times, angst, familial..." Read more

"...The supporting cast felt real, the angst felt real, the not-talking was organic... This one really worked for me, all the way to the last line of..." Read more

"...3. Red and Dunn (Brooks' dad and brother) are fantastic characters. And, I loved every scene they were in...." Read more

51 customers mention "Cuteness"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book cute, describing it as sassy and "cute with a side of dirty," with one customer noting its quirky and homey setting.

"...It had me snickering, wincing, and LOLing in delight...." Read more

"...This was a swoony, hilarious, fun, sweet, steamy, heart warming story with very little angst...." Read more

"...for a small town romance that's a little bit ridiculous but also rather endearing then give this one a try." Read more

"...Licking Thicket has such amazing charm and a wonderful set of secondary characters. I love that the story didn’t revolve around Brooks and Mel...." Read more

47 customers mention "Writing quality"47 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its wonderful prose and wordplay, with one customer highlighting the authors' perfect capture of the narrative.

"...Both writers are good; they put words together well and draw you into the fictional worlds they create, with skill and humor..." Read more

"...Their passion and love are strong, and their HEA is believable and satisfying...." Read more

"...The supporting cast felt real, the angst felt real, the not-talking was organic... This one really worked for me, all the way to the last line of..." Read more

"...Sure is. Sweet! Absolutely. A light, fun, easy read full of head lickin'? Yes, but not to absolutely pornographic extremes...." Read more

46 customers mention "Sweetness"46 positive0 negative

Customers find the book sweet and delightful, with one review specifically mentioning its heart-tugging sweetness and another noting its sweet tea southern charm.

"...The book is designed to be a pleasant, escapist read and it delivers big time...." Read more

"...Fakers is a sweet, funny book. There is quite a bit of over the top humor...." Read more

"...This was a swoony, hilarious, fun, sweet, steamy, heart warming story with very little angst...." Read more

"...Predictable? Sure is. Sweet! Absolutely. A light, fun, easy read full of head lickin'?..." Read more

27 customers mention "Angst level"27 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the low-angst nature of the book, finding it a great stress reliever.

"...with exciting characters, outrageous humor, super-steamy sexy times, angst, familial disdain, and distrust and a baby...." Read more

"...The supporting cast felt real, the angst felt real, the not-talking was organic... This one really worked for me, all the way to the last line of..." Read more

"...swoony, hilarious, fun, sweet, steamy, heart warming story with very little angst...." Read more

"...like that aside from the miscommunication at the end, this was relatively low-angst...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Robert A. Bowers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Start of a new series I will look forward to reading
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I am an automatic May Archer buyer and have bought a lot of Lucy Lennox as well. May Archer is one of a few authors I think of as a "Just one more chapter" author, meaning, when I should put the book down and move on, I often have trouble doing that. Her fictional word and her fictional people really grab my interest and make me want to know what comes next. Lennox has often done that for me too, but not to the same level. The "Love in O"Leary" series and the "Made Marion" series have both been real favorites of mine. Both writers are good; they put words together well and draw you into the fictional worlds they create, with skill and humor (Lennox sometimes over uses the humor, but not in this book), making you care about the characters, what they face, and what is likely to happen to them. The book is designed to be a pleasant, escapist read and it delivers big time. Reading "Fakers" gave me 5 of the most pleasant hours I've spent in the last month of this pandemic lockdown. It starts a series in a fictional small town in TN (if it isn't fictional, someone let me know and i'll consider moving!) with wonderful people; the leads and top supporting characters are fun, interesting and really make you understand and care about their situations, interests and hopes for the future. Recommended!
    8 people found this helpful
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  • avid reader 1
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, sexy and fun
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have read and enjoyed everything written by both authors, so I HAD to get this one.
    Fakers is a sweet, funny book. There is quite a bit of over the top humor. When I was almost to the point where I was going to throw my kindle if there was one more Licking or Johnson or Thicket (or any combination of the three) joke, the authors eased off of them. Thank the gods, too, because I would have been heartbroken to miss the rest of this book.
    I am a fan of stories set in small towns. I was not disappointed in Licking Thicket. The environmental descriptors were spot on, and I found myself transported into the South's thick, hot, mosquito-laden air. The townsfolk are portrayed accurately if a bit overly exaggerated. The town festival has some exciting and funny (and weird) scenes, and the amount of sweet tea consumed in this book almost gave me diabetes.
    The story concept isn't a new one. Still, the authors built upon that and peppered a strong premise with exciting characters, outrageous humor, super-steamy sexy times, angst, familial disdain, and distrust and a baby. And let's not forget the cows that are absolutely everywhere and, oh yeah, a guest room in a tree.
    The first time Brooks and Mal met was perfect. I melted reading that scene, and it only got better from there. I became invested in these two very quickly. Their passion and love are strong, and their HEA is believable and satisfying.
    I could go on and on, but then I would take time from someone reading this when they could be rushing off to buy it.
    I look forward to more from these authors.
    27 people found this helpful
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  • T. Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cracked me up, and made me cry. <3
    Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I almost feel like this needs two separate reviews, but instead I'll put both here. :)

    I am a small towns resident, one in Idaho, one in California, one in Montana, and two here in Florida. As a result I generally dislike the resented-small town trope, and am happy with versions where the MC rediscovers love for theirs. This is the latter. Plus, this small town not only has a ridiculous name (which is explained eventually), but the first half or more of this book is very cleverly chock-FULL of puns, word-play and double entendre on that name. It had me snickering, wincing, and LOLing in delight. It works well because our home boy is a great character, and his love interest is a smart-ass.

    Things settle down a bit when the romance heats up, and thereafter it becomes more your well-done small-town life-changing romance. The supporting cast felt real, the angst felt real, the not-talking was organic... This one really worked for me, all the way to the last line of the Epilogue. I really hope the hints that there will be more stories set in this town comes true.

    The one flaw is the advertising firm owner's attitude. I winced, but I could ignore it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Tammy Moldovan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brooks and Mal - so swoony good together.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is my first book by this author and now I need all the books on her backlist. The way the main characters’ growing feelings for each other were portrayed while also the absurdity of the town and the inevitable reveal of the fake relationships was delicious perfection. Brooks is the hometown hero quarterback who left his HS cheerleader sweetheart and his small town in Tennessee after announcing he was gay. He lives in NYC and works as an ad executive with his best friend Paul. Mal is an artist who lives in LA and is best friends with the jilted cheerleader, Ava. Brooks and Ava have to go to their small town at the same time and each decide to bring a fake boyfriend - Paul and Mal. The difficulties and ridiculousness starts with the Licking Thicket festival and it’s ramped up even higher when they are attracted to their ex’s fake boyfriends. There is growth for both Brooks and Mal on their way to their HEA as they each deal with their wounds from their pasts. This was a swoony, hilarious, fun, sweet, steamy, heart warming story with very little angst. While I love reading romances for the HEA, when real life issues are included - like difficulties with acceptance of sexual orientation and the scars those experiences leave - it makes for more three dimensional characters and more well rounded storylines. This was done perfectly here. I love Mal and Brooks together as well as Ava and Paul. Now on to the next Licking Thicket couple.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kerry Fletcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Licking jokes are on point!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Brooks and Mal! Absolutely loved them!

    Brooks returns home after 10 years away. Thinking his home town would be the same as when he was last there he goes back grudgingly. What he finds in Licking Thicket is that it is the same only different. It's still the same crazy small town but just like him it's also moved with the times. It's more welcoming now he's grown up. He can finally be himself there.

    Mal goes to Licking to support his best friend. He knows small towns and he's not looking forward to it but he'll do anything to support his bestie as she's the only family he has. Same as Brooks, he finds it's how he remembered small towns to be but this one was accepting of who he is.

    A lot of initial deception shall we say but an undeniable connection at the first meeting of Brooks and Mal starts this story off. Theres lots of heat they don't realise they're throwing off all over the place. It's an unthinkable circumstance they find themselves in but nothing or no one could stop it. Lots of fun ensues, soul searching, innuendos galore, bit of past angst on both their parts, off the scale chemistry and a love you'll want to hold onto.

    I loved them both! Equally! So blooming sweet and funny and just swoooonnnn!! When these two were together my kindle nearly overheated. So perfect for each other! They made me so happy!

    I loved the town so much, and all the folks in it. Every one of em i wanna know about. The Licking cow jokes gave me plenty of laughs and the angst gave me a few tears.

    Brilliant story! I gotta admit at the start it took some getting into. I thought there was an overload of set up. I get that we were being introduced to a new town and series of characters but the beginning was a lot to take in and lost me a little. But as the story went on i got lost in Brooks and Mal. They kept me there with them and by the end i felt like a Thicketeer? One of the residents placing a bet! It felt like home.

    Excited for book 2. Kinda glad i've come in late to the party to catch up!
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  • Cygny
    4.0 out of 5 stars Feel good series!
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 11, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    When I read this book the first time, I couldn't stop laughing at all the hilarious names the authors gave some places and events. I mean, this was puntastic!

    Some characters did really annoy me somewhat at first and it distracted from the main events sometimes, but I loved the chemistry between Brooks and Mal. I loved how they brought out the best (and sometimes the worst) in each other and mostly that they were real with the other.

    Definite feel good story with all the small town vibes I love. I'm rereading this because it's a fun reread and because I really want to finish this series now. This will most likely end up being a comfort read I will read over and over.
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  • Erin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in Australia on November 30, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This journey will have you laughing out loud.

    I loved everyone in Licking Thicket

    Mal and Brooks are so good together. Some super sweet moments and totally hot sex!!!

    Love all the funny characters who live in Licking Thicket such a fun little town
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  • Mercedes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy, lovely
    Reviewed in Spain on July 5, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    If you are looking for handsome men, junkyards, barbeque sauce, insane neighbors, lost and found friends, love and cows, this is your book. Don't dare to miss it or you'll regret it!!
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Made me laugh out loud...
    Reviewed in India on August 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    A lovely light hearted book with many memorable characters. I'm sure I'm going to re-read this many times over the years when I need something light funny and heart warming...
    Report

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