Review: Hoax and Kisses by Elodie Colliard

Hoax and Kisses by Elodie Colliard is the first Pine Falls book (after Unbearably Yours), but it was my first read by the author. And honestly? It was fine. Cute in places, frustrating in others, and not one I’ll be rushing back to.

It’s got all the small-town rom-com ingredients: fake dating, a grumpy florist, a city girl with something to prove, and cozy Gilmore Girls vibes. On paper, it should’ve been a slam dunk. But the execution was hit or miss.

Zoe leaned hard into the “big city girl stereotype” at the start—shallow, prickly, hard to like. She eventually won me over as she started standing up to her father and embracing Pine Falls, but it took a while. Matt, meanwhile, was a weird mix: unnecessarily cranky one minute, swoony and emotionally open the next. His devotion to his sister Daphne was his best trait by far, and her autistic representation was a genuine highlight of the book. Their sibling bond stole every scene.

Where it stumbled for me: the insta-love/lust felt forced, the pacing dragged toward the end, and the family dynamics made me grit my teeth (Matt’s parents dumping so much responsibility on him for Daphne didn’t sit right).

That said, there are plenty of sweet, Hallmark-style moments sprinkled throughout. If you love fake dating, small-town meddling, and a grumpy/sunshine setup, you might enjoy this more than I did. For me? Just okay.

Rating 3/5
Tropes: Small Town, Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites, Big City GIrl- Small Town Guy, Instalove