★★★★★ 4.3 / 5
| Overall | [9.2] | Romance | [8.8] |
| Characters | [8.6] | Writing | [6] |
| Emotion | [6.2] | Heat | [7.8] |
| Ending | [6] | Re-read value | [5.2] |
A closeted ice-queen actress and the sunshine co-star she can’t stand suddenly have to play girlfriends off-camera too—and only one of them is entirely faking it.
If you love Hollywood-set sapphic romance, grumpy/sunshine pairings, and a slow burn that earns every inch of its tension, Breaking Character by Lee Winter belongs on your list. It is especially suited to readers who want banter-heavy slow burns with genuine character depth over high heat or fast pacing.
Our take: this is a whip-smart, character-driven romance with some of the best dialogue in the genre, though the deliberate pacing and a polarizing jealousy subplot won’t work for every reader.
Quick Facts
| Author | Lee Winter |
| Publisher | Ylva Publishing |
| Publication date | November 20, 2018 |
| Pages | 334 |
| Language | English |
| Series | Standalone |
| Series order | N/A |
| Genres | Contemporary Lesbian Romance, Hollywood Romance |
| Format | Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook |
| ISBN | 978-3963241130 |
| ASIN | 3963241136 (Paperback) / B07QDP8YVM (Audiobook) |
Reader Match
Perfect for readers who…
- ✓ Love a slow burn built on banter and mutual respect rather than instant chemistry
- ✓ Enjoy a fake dating setup between co-stars forced together by their careers
- ✓ Want a Hollywood/celebrity romance with a closeted-actress storyline
- ✓ Like an ice-queen/sunshine dynamic where the “ice queen” is secretly just guarded, not cruel
- ✓ Appreciate romances with no third-act miscommunication breakup
Avoid If
Skip this if you want…
- Fast pacing (this is a patient, 334-page slow burn that takes time to ignite)
- High heat (the heat lands on the lower-medium side, with one late, relatively brief explicit scene)
- No jealousy subplots (a recurring secondary “other woman” character causes real friction)
- Minimal workplace/industry conflict (closeted-in-Hollywood pressures run through the whole book)
Book Synopsis
Elizabeth Thornton is the most-hated woman on American television, playing the villain in a hit medical drama and privately dreading the day her closeted life collides with her public one. When a clumsy on-set mishap with her new co-star Summer Hayes sparks tabloid rumors that the two are secretly dating, Elizabeth’s first instinct is to shut the story down.
Instead, a prestige film role dangles just out of reach, offered by a director who wants to meet Elizabeth’s “girlfriend” before he’ll commit. Suddenly the fake romance Elizabeth was so eager to kill becomes the only way to get what she wants, and Summer, still smarting from being publicly shunned, has every reason to say no.
What follows is a slow-building partnership of matching public appearances and private truce, as two women who assumed they had nothing in common start to realize the version of each other they built in their heads was never the real thing.
My Review
Breaking Character’s greatest strength is its dialogue. Winter writes banter that lands somewhere between combative and flirtatious long before either woman admits what’s happening, and both leads are given distinct, fully realized inner lives rather than one being a simple foil for the other.
The pacing is deliberate. This is not a book that rushes its central relationship: the fake dating premise does not even begin until well into the story, and the shift from mutual wariness to real affection happens in small, earned increments rather than one big turning point. Readers who want their slow burns to actually burn slowly will likely find this satisfying; readers hoping for an early spark may find the opening stretch slower going.
Where reader opinion splits most is the subplot involving Grace, a secondary “other woman” figure whose presence is meant to raise the stakes between the leads. Some readers find her a well-drawn source of real tension; others feel she pulls focus from the central romance and adds friction that the book didn’t need.
Overall, this is a book that rewards patience: the character work and dialogue are exceptional, the heat is lower and later than some readers may want, and the ending delivers a clear, well-earned happy ending with an epilogue.
Romance Profile
| Relationship | Fake Dating, Ice Queen/Sunshine, Hollywood Romance, Forced Proximity |
| Age Gap | Yes, approximately 9 years |
| Slow Burn | Yes |
| Forced Proximity | Yes (co-stars on the same TV show) |
| Heat | Medium (one explicit scene, late in the book) |
| Ending | HEA |
| Representation | Lesbian |
| Dual POV | Yes |
| Steam | [Add rating] |
Emotional Profile
- Funny
- Swoony
- Angsty
- Hopeful
Content Warnings
Not officially published by the author or publisher; compiled from reader reviews and should be verified by sensitive readers before purchasing.
- Closeted/coming out pressure tied to fame and public image
- Jealousy and “other woman” conflict from a recurring secondary character
- Tabloid intrusion and public scrutiny of the characters’ private lives
Book DNA
| Main Tropes | Fake Dating, Hollywood Romance, Ice Queen/Sunshine, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity |
| Relationship Dynamics | Guarded ice queen vs. relentlessly warm sunshine co-star, public “showmance” vs. private truce turned real |
| Emotional Journey | Mutual wariness to grudging respect to real, patient affection |
| Reader Moods | Amused, Swoony, Angsty, Hopeful |
| Themes | Public persona vs. private self, the cost of staying closeted in the spotlight, choosing intimacy over image |
| Tone | Witty and banter-driven, with a patient 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
- Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer
- Just for Show by Jae
- Purposefully Accidental by G Benson
For more similar books visit: Sapphic fake dating romance books
About the Author
Lee Winter is an Australian author and former newspaper journalist who spent years covering courts, crime, and news before turning to fiction full-time. She has been a Lambda Literary Award finalist and has won multiple Goldie Awards from the Golden Crown Literary Society for her sapphic romance and thriller novels. She lives in Australia with her longtime partner.
Read more Lee Winter reviews →
FAQ
Is Breaking Character spicy?
It sits at a medium heat level. There is one explicit love scene, positioned late in the book, that leans more emotional than graphic.
Does Breaking Character have a happy ending?
Yes. The book ends with a clear HEA for Elizabeth and Summer, plus an epilogue.
Can Breaking Character be read as a standalone?
Yes. It is a standalone novel and not part of a series.
Is Breaking Character slow burn?
Yes, it is a patient slow burn; the fake dating premise itself doesn’t begin until well into the book.
Is there an age gap in Breaking Character?
Yes, approximately nine years, treated as a minor detail rather than a source of conflict.
Who narrates the audiobook?
The audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe and published by Tantor Audio.
Is Breaking Character a fake dating romance?
Yes. The central hook is a director-arranged fake relationship between two co-stars trying to protect their careers.
Does Breaking Character use dual POV?
Yes, the story alternates between Elizabeth’s and Summer’s perspectives.
Final Verdict
Who should read it: fans of Hollywood/celebrity romance, ice queen/sunshine pairings, banter-forward slow burns, and closeted-in-the-spotlight storylines.
Who shouldn’t: readers who want high heat, fast pacing, or a romance without a jealousy-driven secondary conflict.
Final score: [Add score]
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