tara_reads82 's review for:

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

4.5

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 

The way Lynn Painter is able to capture YA romance is sheer perfection.  She nails that perfect mix of sweet, swoony, and real every time.

❄️⛸️🏒💘📖✨

💕Fake Skating checked all my favorite fake dating boxes: rivalry, history, and plenty of “we’re just pretending” tension. It started a little slow, but once it hit its stride I was hooked. Alec and Dani had me rooting for them individually and even harder together, their rebuilt friendship and slow burn romance was so satisfying.

🏒📖On the surface, Alec looks like the typical popular hockey jock in a small, hockey-obsessed town. But underneath, he’s carrying a lot on his shoulders and doesn’t let people in easily. Dani, meanwhile, is juggling her parents’ divorce, starting over as the new kid (again), and adjusting to the coldest place on earth. Watching them rebuild their friendship and slowly break down each other’s walls was so satisfying. They’re seriously so cute. I’m hoping we get another book following Alec and Dani to college. I’m dying to see what’s next for them. 

✨Grandpa Mick is an absolute legend! I loved the way he showed his love and the way he understood Dani. You’d be lucky to have him in your corner.

👎 Oh Benji…only Lego strewn floors and perpetually flat Maserati tires for you. 

🤷‍♀️ I will say I’m not a huge fan of all the miscommunication. And it happens a fair amount, however I will give Dani and Alec a minor pass because they are in fact minors 😂

💙 I really appreciated is that Fake Staking doesn’t shy away from the harder stuff teens face…anxiety, divorce, family expectations, or feeling out of place. I think a lot of readers will see themselves in these pages.

Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC! 💕💙