Trope
Fake Dating
It was supposed to be pretend.
7 books on this shelf, newest first.
Fake dating runs on a simple engine: a pretence that requires closeness, and two people who keep forgetting it is a pretence. The wedding, the family visit, the contract — the reason barely matters. What matters is that the performance stops being one.
Where to start: The best entries give the arrangement real consequences, so backing out costs something. If you like the trope at its warmest, look for small-town or holiday settings; for higher stakes, try romantasy where the fake courtship is political.
