Mac Meyers.
My secret crush.
Most unattainable guy on campus.
Relentless flirt (except with me).
Being friends with the guy on campus that everyone wants comes with its own set of problems.
None of us can eat in the cafeteria without being interrupted ten times.
Well, I’ve had enough.
So the most unhinged thing comes out of my mouth: I tell them to leave my boyfriend alone.
Except Mac is not my boyfriend.
Not even close.
Until he looks at me like I have the most inspired idea.
My name is Ophelia Forrest-Hammer, and Mac Meyers wants to be my fake boyfriend.
But I wish he was my real one.
(ARC Read)
I thought Mac Meyers Needs Me was absolutely adorable. It’s such a sweet college romance, with all those awkward, innocent moments that come with falling in love when you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want. It honestly reminded me of being that age, when relationships could feel simultaneously simple and completely overwhelming because everything was still so new. Add in some spice in the second half, and this was just a really fun, feel-good read.
Fee has wanted Mac for as long as she can remember, but actually doing something about it is a whole different story. He’s one of her closest friends, and she’s terrified that admitting how she feels could change their dynamic or, even worse, cost her the friendship entirely. Meanwhile, Mac wants Fee too, but he has no idea whether she feels the same way or how to cross that line without risking what they already have.
Obviously, the solution is fake dating. Because nothing could possibly go wrong there.
“It’ll break the heart of every girl on campus, but fine, I’ll do you a solid, Mac. I’ll be your fake girlfriend.”
I loved the mutual pining between these two, especially because underneath all the fake relationship shenanigans, they genuinely care about each other. There are so many cute, awkward moments as they try to navigate this new version of their relationship while both secretly wishing it wasn’t fake at all. The slower burn really worked for me because it gave their friendship time to evolve naturally into something deeper instead of suddenly flipping a switch from friends to lovers.
The line between fake and real is blurring. My goal is to erase it completely.
And Mac Meyers is basically a golden retriever and cinnamon roll rolled into one very lovable hockey player. He’s kind to everyone, hates hurting people’s feelings, and has this easygoing sweetness that makes it obvious why everyone on campus seems to want him. But get that man alone with Fee and apparently he has an entirely different vocabulary. The contrast between sweet, slightly awkward Mac and the much more confident, filthy version of him behind closed doors was FUN.
I also really appreciated the way his virginity was handled. Mac isn’t waiting because he lacks opportunities; he simply needs an emotional connection before he wants to take that step with someone. He’s thoughtful about intimacy, incredibly attentive to Fee, and very intentional about consent. Watching the trust between them grow alongside the physical side of their relationship made their progression feel even sweeter.
“Put your dimple away.”
“What’s wrong with my dimple?”
“It’s distracting.”
Fee was just as easy to love. She’s already experienced so much loss after losing her parents, and she’s had to figure out how to keep moving forward while leaning heavily on her older sister. At the same time, she desperately wants to establish an identity outside of being Lexi Forrest-Hammer’s little sister. Underneath all of that is this very understandable desire to know she can rely on someone, to have someone choose her and actually stick around.
What I loved most was that this wasn’t an incredibly angsty romance. There are real emotions, insecurities, family dynamics, and decisions about their futures, but the heart of the story is simply two friends realizing that the person they’ve been looking for has been right there all along. They get to stumble through it together, figure out what they need from each other, and discover what happens when years of mutual pining finally have somewhere to go.
“You’re my best friend, Fee, and I’ve been falling for you since the moment I met you.”
Mac Meyers Needs Me was cute, funny, spicy, and wonderfully sweet. If you love friends to lovers, mutual pining, fake dating, college hockey, found family, a slower burn, and a golden retriever hero who is significantly less innocent than his personality would suggest, Mac and Fee are such a fun pair to fall for.
Release Date: September 10th, 2026
Thank you to Helena Hunting for the ARC read!