☆ (Star rating and rating badge to be added by editor)
| Overall | [8.8] | Romance | [8.6] |
| Characters | [6.2] | Writing | [7.8] |
| Emotion | [7.8] | Heat | [6.9] |
| Ending | [9] | Re-read value | [6] |
Coming out is easier when you have someone standing next to you. That is the calculation hyper-private TV star Quinn Kincaid makes when her publicist pitches a fake relationship as the safest way to control her own story. What she does not plan on is actually falling for the woman hired to play her girlfriend.
If you love Hollywood-set sapphic romance, fake dating that slowly stops being fake, and two leads who trade barbs before they trade feelings, Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer belongs on your list. It is especially suited to readers who want a slow burn with real friction rather than a misunderstanding that clears up in one conversation.
Our take: this is a funny, banter-forward romance with a genuinely affecting emotional core, though the back half leans harder into angst than some readers will expect going in. It is worth reading, particularly if you know that shift is coming.
Quick Facts
| Author | Elle Spencer |
| Publisher | Bold Strokes Books |
| Publication date | July 2, 2018 (originally self-published December 28, 2017) |
| Pages | 376 |
| Language | English |
| Series | Standalone |
| Series order | N/A |
| Genres | Contemporary Lesbian Romance, Hollywood Romance |
| Format | Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook |
| ISBN | 978-1635554113 |
| ASIN | B07F78QH68 (Kindle) / B07CS3F5JG (Audiobook) |
Reader Match
Perfect for readers who…
- ✓ Love a slow burn with real friction, not just a misunderstanding
- ✓ Enjoy fake dating and marriage-of-convenience setups
- ✓ Want a Hollywood/celebrity romance with a coming-out storyline
- ✓ Are fine with an age gap that is treated as a non-issue between two adults
- ✓ Like witty, sarcastic banter that eventually softens into real vulnerability
Avoid If
Skip this if you want…
- Fast pacing (this is a patient, 376-page slow burn)
- High spice (heat lands on the medium side, with one explicit scene)
- Lighthearted romance with minimal conflict
- No angst (the third act leans hard into emotional conflict and miscommunication)
Book Synopsis
Quinn Kincaid has spent years building a career, and a life, around never letting anyone get too close. As the star of the hit legal drama Jordan’s Appeal, she has kept her personal life locked down so tightly that even her closest colleagues do not know she is gay. When her publicist proposes a solution, a very public, very manufactured relationship that lets Quinn control the pace and framing of her own coming out, it sounds clinical and manageable. Then her publicist introduces the candidate for the job: Lacey Matthews, a sharp-tongued soap actress who agrees to the arrangement for reasons that have nothing to do with romance and everything to do with her own stalled career.
What starts as a business transaction, complete with talking points, paparazzi-friendly outings, and a carefully worded contract, does not stay that way for long. Quinn and Lacey needle each other from the first meeting, and that friction turns out to hide a genuine spark neither of them planned for. A sudden accident forces them into far closer, far more domestic territory than either bargained for, and the walls both women have spent years maintaining start to crack in ways that are inconvenient for their carefully staged romance and increasingly hard to ignore.
As the fake relationship starts to blur into something real, both women have to decide how much of themselves they are willing to risk when the entire arrangement was built on the premise that none of it was supposed to matter. Family pressure, industry politics, and old defense mechanisms complicate a bond that keeps deepening even as both leads try to keep it contained. Told from both women’s perspectives, Casting Lacey follows two guarded, funny, occasionally infuriating women as they figure out whether a relationship that started as a performance can become the realest thing in either of their lives.
My Review
Casting Lacey’s biggest strength is its dialogue. Spencer writes banter that actually sounds like two quick, defensive people sparring rather than the more common romance-novel version of “witty” back-and-forth, and that voice carries the first half of the book almost entirely on its own. Quinn and Lacey are drawn with real specificity, an ice-queen control freak and a mouthy, self-protective sarcasm machine, and watching those particular defenses fail against each other is more satisfying than a lot of enemies-to-lovers setups manage, even though this is closer to rivals-to-reluctant-allies than true enemies.
The pacing rewards patience. This is a slow burn in the literal sense: the earned tenderness in the middle third, especially once caregiving forces Quinn and Lacey into the same physical space, is where the book is at its best. The chemistry reads as lived-in rather than instant, built out of proximity and small moments rather than a single dramatic spark.
Where opinion splits, and where our own enthusiasm cooled slightly, is the last act. Several readers have flagged a late-book conflict that escalates faster and harder than the story’s earlier, more grounded stakes, and we agree that the shift in tone is noticeable. It does not undo the goodwill built in the first two-thirds, but it does mean the ending’s emotional payoff has to work a little harder to feel earned. The HEA lands, and the epilogue-style closing beats are satisfying, but readers who want angst kept at a low simmer throughout should go in with adjusted expectations.
Overall, this is a book that succeeds on voice and character chemistry first, plot mechanics second, which is exactly the trade-off most fans of banter-driven sapphic romance are happy to make.
Romance Profile
| Relationship | FF |
| Trope | Fake Dating / Marriage of Convenience, Hollywood Romance, Age Gap, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity |
| Age Gap | Yes, approximately 13 years |
| Slow Burn | Yes |
| Forced Proximity | Yes (caregiving after an accident) |
| Heat | Medium (one explicit scene) |
| Ending | HEA |
| Representation | Lesbian |
| Dual POV | Yes |
| Steam | [Add rating] |
Emotional Profile
- Funny
- Angsty
- Hopeful
- Healing
Content Warnings
Not officially published by the author or publisher; compiled from reader reviews and should be verified before use. Please add or adjust after reading.
- Family health crisis / injury requiring caregiving
- Outing and coming-out pressure tied to fame
- On-page depictions of miscommunication and codependent conflict patterns
Book DNA
| Main Tropes | Fake Dating, Hollywood Romance, Age Gap, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity/Caregiving |
| Relationship Dynamics | Rivals-to-allies banter, protector/protected dynamic during recovery, public “showmance” vs. private feelings |
| Emotional Journey | Guarded to vulnerable; learning to trust after fame-related betrayals |
| Reader Moods | Swoony, Angsty, Amused, Hopeful |
| Themes | Coming out on your own terms, identity vs. public persona, chosen intimacy vs. performance |
| Tone | Witty, banter-driven, with a sincere emotional undercurrent |
| Heat | Medium |
| Ending | HEA |
| Representation | Lesbian |
Similar Books
- And Playing the Role of Herself by K.E. Lane
- In Development by Rachel Spangler
- Breaking Character by Lee Winter
- Just for Show by Jae
- Purposefully Accidental by G Benson
For more similar books visit: Sapphic fake dating romance books
About the Author
Elle Spencer is an American author of contemporary sapphic romance. She debuted in 2017 with Forget Her Not, and Casting Lacey, released the same year, became one of her best-known books for its banter-heavy voice and Hollywood setting. Several of Spencer’s novels have been published through Bold Strokes Books, and her backlist includes titles such as 30 Dates in 30 Days, The Road to Madison, Waiting for You, The Holiday Treatment, A Long Way to Fall, Give in to Me, Unforgettable, and Private Equity. Readers consistently point to her dialogue and slow-burn pacing as her signature strengths. Spencer is active with readers online and continues to publish new sapphic romance titles.
Read more Elle Spencer reviews →
FAQ
Is Casting Lacey spicy?
It sits at a medium heat level. There is one explicit love scene, positioned at a point in the relationship where it feels earned rather than gratuitous.
Does Casting Lacey have a happy ending?
Yes. Despite a rocky third act, the book ends with a clear HEA for Quinn and Lacey.
Can Casting Lacey be read as a standalone?
Yes. It is a standalone novel and not part of a series.
Is Casting Lacey slow burn?
Yes, it is a patient slow burn that builds through proximity and banter before either woman admits what she feels.
Is there an age gap in Casting Lacey?
Yes, roughly thirteen years, treated in the story as a non-issue between two consenting adults.
Who narrates the audiobook?
The audiobook is narrated by Melissa Moran and published by Tantor Audio.
Is Casting Lacey a fake dating romance?
Yes. The central setup is a publicist-arranged, marriage-of-convenience-style fake relationship that becomes real.
Does Casting Lacey use dual POV?
Yes, the story alternates between Quinn’s and Lacey’s perspectives.
Final Verdict
Who should read it: fans of Hollywood/celebrity romance, fake dating, slow burn banter, and age-gap pairings written as a non-issue.
Who shouldn’t: readers who want a low-angst comfort read, fast pacing, or minimal miscommunication-driven conflict.
Final score: [Add score]
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