Behind the Scenes
A Holiday, Fake Dating, Reality TV Romantic Comedy
Brookhaven Lake #6
by Sofia Jade
Published: October 1, 2026
Publisher: Peripheral Edge Publishing
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fake Dating, Christmas, Holiday, Romance
Blurb:
After
her divorce, Demi made herself one promise... say yes to everything,
no matter how crazy.
Now
that promise has come to collect and she's saying yes to a reality TV
baking competition that only accepts real couples.
There's just
one problem: she's not in a relationship anymore.
Enter Nick
Rossi. Her hometown's broodiest mechanic, a man who hates the
holidays and never watches TV.
All she needs him to do is fake
an engagement for two weeks of filming. They'll split the prize money
and never speak of it again.
For reasons she can't understand,
he says yes.
Demi:
I
made myself one rule after my divorce: say yes to every idea that
comes my way.
Which is how I ended up back in my hometown mall
working as a Christmas elf, making gift lists for other people's
kids. If you're wondering whether this is rock bottom, it is.
Until
my yes-year backfires spectacularly and I find myself fake-engaged to
Nick Rossi, town grump and reigning most-eligible-bachelor, filming a
reality baking show that could hand us a prize big enough to fix my
entire life.
All we have to do is convince a panel of judges and
some cameras that we're really together... and not burn the
brownies.
Except he hates Christmas.
He grumbles
about the theme. He scowls at the decorations. But behind the scenes,
when the cameras are off, he's soft and warm.
We're supposed to
be doing this for the money. One week. Fake engaged. Real cash prize.
No strings.
But no one warned me what happens when you realize
you're no longer pretending...
Behind
the Scenes is book 5 in the Brookhaven Lake series however it can be
read as a true standalone. It's a fake dating, romantic comedy,
holiday baking show romance. Guaranteed a HEA!
My Review:
Following a painful divorce, Demi returns to her hometown with a unique resolution: to spend the next year saying "yes" to every opportunity that comes her way. This vow unexpectedly leads her to enter a high-stakes, holiday-themed reality television baking competition. However, the production requires contestants to enter as couples—a requirement Demi cannot fulfill on her own.
Seeking a solution, she recruits Nick Rossi, the town's most eligible bachelor and its most broody local mechanic. Despite his distinct aversion to both Christmas and television, Nick surprisingly accepts her proposal to act as her fake fiancé. The arrangement is mutually beneficial, allowing them to split the prize money, which Demi urgently needs to supplement her modest income as a mall elf.
Behind the Scenes thoroughly exceeded my expectations. The highlight of the novel is Demi’s witty and comedic narrative voice, which provides numerous laugh-out-loud moments throughout the story. Meanwhile, Nick proves to be an exceptionally charming romantic lead, easily earning the moniker of a true "McDreamy" in the spirit of Grey’s Anatomy.
Although this is the sixth installment in Sofia Jade’s Brookhaven Lakes series, it served as my introduction to her work. The novel functions beautifully as a standalone small-town romance, ensuring new readers will not feel lost. However, enjoying this book made me realize that I missed out on discovering the previous characters and their respective journeys, prompting me to explore the rest of the series immediately.
I highly recommend securing a copy of Behind the Scenes, as well as diving into the rest of the Brookhaven Lakes collection.
