Maya Reyes never meant to fake-date a celebrity. She's just the sarcastic, volleyball-playing girl-next-door with a secret passion for music and a tendency to keep people at arm's length. But when her best friend-and rising star athlete-Malakai Ward panics at a charity auction and begs her to win a date with him (to avoid his obsessive ex), she agrees. What starts as a favor spirals into headlines, rumors, and one very inconvenient PR stunt: pretend to be in love. For real. To the world, they're the perfect couple. To their close-knit friend group? Just friends. To Maya? A safe way to bring a fake boyfriend to her ex's wedding without any messy feelings. But as she helps Malakai navigate his anxiety and he pushes her to release music under a secret pseudonym, the lines blur-and faking it gets harder. Then the secrets unravel: her hidden music career, the little sister she's raising in silence, and the grief she never talks about. Malakai falls first. Maya falls harder. And when the truth finally breaks them apart, they'll both have to choose between fear and vulnerability, pride and forgiveness, pretending and something real. Because sometimes, the most beautiful love stories begin with a lie.
More details