A review by hanreads__
Fake As puck by Sarah Smith

hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

"Yeah. Home. That's what it feels like when you're with me, Sophie."

*~*~*~*~*
The disappointment I felt when reading this book is hard to put into words, especially when I was so excited to read this ARC. The author left me yearning for more constantly.

Fake dating is one the of my favourite tropes, I love watching two people have a secret between them fall in love while they try their best to deny their feelings to themselves. There's something beautiful about something starting out fake and becoming more real as the days drag on. Unfortunately, I feel that the fake dating trope was used as a way to get the ball rolling rather than to play a valuable part. I understood why the trope was present, but it wasn't executed well enough for me, or needed to be something that continued.

Sophie and Xander are two lovely people, but when they're together, I struggle to find the chemistry between them. Not once, did I feel any fireworks between the two and their story while I was reading, and I was forever left waiting for their romance to feel more genuine. I think part of the issue was the fact that aside from Xander being a hockey player, he had NO personality of his own. 

It was constantly mentioned that Xander would send things like flowers and cute text messages to Sophie, she would then rave about how wonderful and thoughtful he was... but this is the BARE MINIMUMN a guy should be doing anyway? It got to the point where this WAS his personality alongside his sexual ways. There was nothing outside of hockey, his mum and going to the pub that said he had any type of life. No hobbies were mentioned or saw within the story. He was an extremely flat character all the way through.

Unfortunately, the same has to be said for Sophie. Aside from being someone who got through school faster than others and not having much of a 'life' outside of that, Sophie did not have a personality. She was simply known as being Xander's girlfriend or for being a doctor at such a young age. Once again, she was a very flat character. The one thing I did like about Sophie, however, was the way that she grew confidence in the bedroom. I think this allowed her to grow into herself a little more, and left me feeling happy for her.

Truth be told, I wanted to put this book down every time I picked it up, and I feel terrible for saying that, but I could not find anything within this book that could leave me wanting more. Even when it got to the dramatic climax of the story, I felt dissatisfied; the only good thing was the little plot twist it gave, but even then, it felt like it happened as a filler for the story. 
WHY WOULD A DOCTOR HACK INTO SOMEONE'S PHONE AND LEAK A SEX TAPE? IT'S LESS BELIEVEABLE THAN AN ENEMY DOING IT.


All in all, this story left much to be desired and I don't think I'll be reading the next one or any of the authors work. I was hoping I could sink my teeth into this, but there was just nothing for me to love. I wish the author the best of luck in her future, and I am truly sorry for this sad review.

Please note, I received "Fake as Puck" as an ARC, and my review is my own thoughts and completely unbiased.
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