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ammbooks's review against another edition
4.0
great YA romcom
Lovely story about finding the courage to be yourself and seeking one’s passion (as i. goals-hobbies-careers) while being caught in the 7th hell that is high school.
Lovely story about finding the courage to be yourself and seeking one’s passion (as i. goals-hobbies-careers) while being caught in the 7th hell that is high school.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
A cute YA interracial fake dating romance that sees two friends pretend/practice dating to help with reputations and end up developing real feelings. This was fun and good on audio. I liked the diverse MCs, and the body positivity. Perfect for fans of authors like Joya Goffney, Renee Watson or Elise Bryant. Many thanks to @librofm for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!
mellabella's review against another edition
5.0
I received this ARC from BookishFirst.
I typically shy away from cutesy reads. But I'm happy I tried this one out. I read this is one sitting. Bethany and Jacob are very likable characters and their cast of friends and family seemed cool (if not a little unrealistic).
Bethany is beautiful, Black and plus sized. Jacob is handsome and Asian. He has had what they call a "glow up" in the past few years. Her moms are ex basketball royalty. His parents are tattoo artists. They might seem like they have much in common on the surface. But when it comes down to it, they bring to the best in each other.
I loved that Bethany was plus sized and the book focused on what she went through and how she viewed herself (as opposed to how others might view her) and didn't gloss it over.
As the book opens, Bethany is about to ask her crush to prom. That doesn't go so well. Nor does the next guy she asks.
What follows is a YA read about Jacob and Bethany not only discovering what they like about each other, but about what they like about themselves.
I typically shy away from cutesy reads. But I'm happy I tried this one out. I read this is one sitting. Bethany and Jacob are very likable characters and their cast of friends and family seemed cool (if not a little unrealistic).
Bethany is beautiful, Black and plus sized. Jacob is handsome and Asian. He has had what they call a "glow up" in the past few years. Her moms are ex basketball royalty. His parents are tattoo artists. They might seem like they have much in common on the surface. But when it comes down to it, they bring to the best in each other.
I loved that Bethany was plus sized and the book focused on what she went through and how she viewed herself (as opposed to how others might view her) and didn't gloss it over.
As the book opens, Bethany is about to ask her crush to prom. That doesn't go so well. Nor does the next guy she asks.
What follows is a YA read about Jacob and Bethany not only discovering what they like about each other, but about what they like about themselves.
amberimagines's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Bethany and Jacob are so cute!!!!!!! My babies 😭
shawnie_s's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bookspam's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was sweet and the third act conflict was quickly resolved! Yay!
sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
asha_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I love Rebekah’s romance books and was excited to hear that she’s releasing her young adult debut, Her Good Side. This YA contemporary romance contains fake dating, late bloomers, self discovery, and friendship. This was my first read of 2023 and I thought it was a cute read. I loved the budding relationship between Bethany (a star basketball player who wants to be chef) and Jacob (a skater boy/want to be filmmaker) who decide to fake date for a homecoming dance. Bethany and Jacob’s families and friends were all wonderful supporting characters and really loved how the author showed healthy relationships among them. I also really liked the dimension that the author gave to each character. I also thought it was pretty cool that Bethany loves Chef Evie’s show (Evie is from Cowboy to Remember). Definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re looking for a fun high school romance read!
Thank you Penguin Teen for the free ARC.
Merged review:
I love Rebekah’s romance books and was excited to hear that she’s releasing her young adult debut, Her Good Side. This YA contemporary romance contains fake dating, late bloomers, self discovery, and friendship. This was my first read of 2023 and I thought it was a cute read. I loved the budding relationship between Bethany (a star basketball player who wants to be chef) and Jacob (a skater boy/want to be filmmaker) who decide to fake date for a homecoming dance. Bethany and Jacob’s families and friends were all wonderful supporting characters and really loved how the author showed healthy relationships among them. I also really liked the dimension that the author gave to each character. I also thought it was pretty cool that Bethany loves Chef Evie’s show (Evie is from Cowboy to Remember). Definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re looking for a fun high school romance read!
Thank you Penguin Teen for the free ARC.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the free ARC.
Merged review:
I love Rebekah’s romance books and was excited to hear that she’s releasing her young adult debut, Her Good Side. This YA contemporary romance contains fake dating, late bloomers, self discovery, and friendship. This was my first read of 2023 and I thought it was a cute read. I loved the budding relationship between Bethany (a star basketball player who wants to be chef) and Jacob (a skater boy/want to be filmmaker) who decide to fake date for a homecoming dance. Bethany and Jacob’s families and friends were all wonderful supporting characters and really loved how the author showed healthy relationships among them. I also really liked the dimension that the author gave to each character. I also thought it was pretty cool that Bethany loves Chef Evie’s show (Evie is from Cowboy to Remember). Definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re looking for a fun high school romance read!
Thank you Penguin Teen for the free ARC.
khebebebe's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was such a cute fake couple turned real couple romance. I didn’t realize it was YA which is quickly turning into one of my fave genres and Rebekah one of my fave authors to read. I love the underlying message of how refreshing it is when you finally see the beauty someone else sees in you. Bethany is super funny yet slightly awkward and owns it. I love that. Jacob is kind of spending his life just floating along doing what he thinks is expected in the love department. I’m glad they happened upon each other. Even the way they got together was unconventional but I love that her friend was so cool about it and showed a true understanding of friendship.