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A review by lauren_miller
Rules For Fake Girlfriends by Raegan Revord
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I wanted to love this so much, and while it did have a few squeal-worthy moments, overall it was a little forgettable to me. the tone is very juvenile—more high school than college vibes (which I guess is fair since the characters are freshmen)—and a large portion of the book felt very low stakes and awkwardly paced. I liked the idea of the scavenger hunt, but I didn't find the clues super engaging. I didn't really feel strong chemistry between Avery and Charlie even though they supposedly fake dated so well even Maddi believed them. And I still can't believe we never got a scene at the college's dining hall—the amount of food they bought off campus felt SO out of touch; there's no way I would've been able to afford so many pizza takeaways and trips to the cafe lol. UB has an Eat In scheme, so at least some mention of the hospitality program would've been appropriate... And while I loved all the scenes at the pier, there's never direct mention or description of the Lanes, which are super iconic to Brighton. If they were galavanting around the city trying to figure out the clues and such, it felt like the author should've localized it more. That said, I know the author is American, so maybe a little more research would've been helpful. Also, the Victoria & Albert Museum is free entry unless you're buying tickets for a specific exhibit?? Basically, there lots of moments where I had to suspend my disbelief and just roll with it.
What really made the book for me was the side characters. I loved Maddi and Colin (the EDS rep, woo!) and Rowan (even though she felt like a sudden addition and very one-dimensional) and Leyla. I wish we could've gotten more scenes with Esther, too. Someone that knew Halle really well and could've offered Avery stories about her mom's college experience... Also, when we first meet Esther, there's this whole "we were roommates, we were really, really good friends..." I thought for a second we were going to find out Halle was bi or something!!! which would've been EPIC. Alas, my queer dreams were not to be. It would've been such a unique and emotional way to further connect with her mom; what a missed opportunity...
All that said, I swear I DID have a good time reading it. I just feel like this book is more suited to younger teens, maybe 14-17, and I'm simply too old and critical to really enjoy it lol. Still a solid 3 out of 5 ⭐️s
I wanted to love this so much, and while it did have a few squeal-worthy moments, overall it was a little forgettable to me. the tone is very juvenile—more high school than college vibes (which I guess is fair since the characters are freshmen)—and a large portion of the book felt very low stakes and awkwardly paced. I liked the idea of the scavenger hunt, but I didn't find the clues super engaging. I didn't really feel strong chemistry between Avery and Charlie even though they supposedly fake dated so well even Maddi believed them. And I still can't believe we never got a scene at the college's dining hall—the amount of food they bought off campus felt SO out of touch; there's no way I would've been able to afford so many pizza takeaways and trips to the cafe lol. UB has an Eat In scheme, so at least some mention of the hospitality program would've been appropriate... And while I loved all the scenes at the pier, there's never direct mention or description of the Lanes, which are super iconic to Brighton. If they were galavanting around the city trying to figure out the clues and such, it felt like the author should've localized it more. That said, I know the author is American, so maybe a little more research would've been helpful. Also, the Victoria & Albert Museum is free entry unless you're buying tickets for a specific exhibit?? Basically, there lots of moments where I had to suspend my disbelief and just roll with it.
What really made the book for me was the side characters. I loved Maddi and Colin (the EDS rep, woo!) and Rowan (even though she felt like a sudden addition and very one-dimensional) and Leyla. I wish we could've gotten more scenes with Esther, too. Someone that knew Halle really well and could've offered Avery stories about her mom's college experience... Also, when we first meet Esther, there's this whole "we were roommates, we were really, really good friends..." I thought for a second we were going to find out Halle was bi or something!!! which would've been EPIC. Alas, my queer dreams were not to be. It would've been such a unique and emotional way to further connect with her mom; what a missed opportunity...
All that said, I swear I DID have a good time reading it. I just feel like this book is more suited to younger teens, maybe 14-17, and I'm simply too old and critical to really enjoy it lol. Still a solid 3 out of 5 ⭐️s
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Eating disorder, Self harm