Fake Dating - New or Timeless Concept?
Is “Fake Dating” a new or Timeless Concept?
Netflix’s “Bridgerton” has resurrected America’s love affair with romance. It proves what romance authors have always known. Which is that certain relationship dynamics never go out of style.
They simply change costumes.
Bridgerton’s Brilliant Deceptions
In Regency London, fake relationships serve ruthlessly practical purposes.
Why?
Because marriage, especially for women, determined everything: social standing, financial security, family alliances.
Love was never the primary motivation.
In today’s Manhattan dating scene has traded carriages for Ubers, and dance cards for dating apps. Yet the fundamental human dynamics remain shockingly similar.
The Modern Masquerade Ball
Manhattan’s elite still perform carefully choreographed romantic dances.
Yet now, it’s under crystal chandeliers in Tribeca lofts rather than Mayfair ballrooms.
The pressure to present the right “relationship image” is enormous in certain circles. It can be damaging in some industries to appear perpetually single or to date the ‘wrong’ person.’
Tech startups now offer “relationship rentals” – attractive, well-vetted individuals available for everything from family holidays to corporate events. Some charge upwards of $300 per hour for believable companionship.
Instead of Lady Whistledown’s scandal sheets, we have Instagram stories and Page Six, where relationship performance becomes social currency.
Why We Can’t Resist the Fake Dating Trope
Both Bridgerton and modern romance novels tap into deep psychological gratification:
1, The thrill of watching pretense crumble.
Remember that electric moment when Anthony Bridgerton surrenders to desire? It mirrors our own fantasies of authentic connection breaking through social constraints.
2, Fake dating increases delicious slow-burn tension.
Forced proximity creates unignorable chemistry, Regency carriage ride? Manhattan penthouse elevator? In both, confined spaces with forbidden attraction create irresistible tension.
3, Fake dating presents the fantasy of being truly seen.
In both eras, the fake relationship trope allows characters to be recognized for who they truly are, rather than the masks they wear.
From Regency to Recent Release
The threads connecting Bridgerton’s ballrooms to modern Manhattan romance run deeper than superficial plot devices.
Both explore fundamental human desires for connection beneath social performance.
Historical and contemporary romance often mirror each other.
The settings change, but the emotional journeys remain consistent expectations. That’s why “fake dating” captivates audiences today.
Sass Green is the author of Billionaire’s Naughty Romance, and many other books in the billionaire romance genre.
