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thecrochetedlibrary 's review for:
Fake Skating
by Lynn Painter
🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶 — 5 Stars
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
Lynn Painter has officially entered her hockey romance era—and Fake Skating might just be my favorite of hers yet. It’s the perfect blend of fake dating, childhood best friends to lovers, and second chances, wrapped in all the heart-melting YA nostalgia I crave.
Dani is such a refreshingly real main character. She’s not the quirky rom-com girl stereotype—she’s layered, vulnerable, and incredibly relatable. As a military kid, her life has been one of constant change, and her only constant was the one month each summer she spent at her grandparents’...and with Alec. That is, until one summer changed everything. Now, five years later, Dani’s back—but with divorced parents, the weight of emotional manipulation from her dad, and growing social anxiety, she’s lost the light she used to carry.
And Alec? Oh, Alec. The sweet, nerdy boy from Dani’s memories is now the hockey star of their small town. He wants to hate her for what he believes happened—but his heart never stopped caring. Watching him fall for her all over again is the best kind of slow burn. I loved Wes from Better Than the Movies, but Alec? Game over.
When circumstances force Alec and Dani into fake dating, it becomes more than just a high school ruse. They’re navigating old wounds, unresolved feelings, and slowly remembering what made them inseparable in the first place. The line between fake and real blurs, and the result is full of longing, charm, and so much heart.
The banter? Top-tier. The chemistry? Off the charts. The emotion? Hit me square in the chest. Fake Skating has everything I adore about Lynn Painter’s books—snappy dialogue, swoony romance, and characters that feel like they could be you.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book!
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
Lynn Painter has officially entered her hockey romance era—and Fake Skating might just be my favorite of hers yet. It’s the perfect blend of fake dating, childhood best friends to lovers, and second chances, wrapped in all the heart-melting YA nostalgia I crave.
Dani is such a refreshingly real main character. She’s not the quirky rom-com girl stereotype—she’s layered, vulnerable, and incredibly relatable. As a military kid, her life has been one of constant change, and her only constant was the one month each summer she spent at her grandparents’...and with Alec. That is, until one summer changed everything. Now, five years later, Dani’s back—but with divorced parents, the weight of emotional manipulation from her dad, and growing social anxiety, she’s lost the light she used to carry.
And Alec? Oh, Alec. The sweet, nerdy boy from Dani’s memories is now the hockey star of their small town. He wants to hate her for what he believes happened—but his heart never stopped caring. Watching him fall for her all over again is the best kind of slow burn. I loved Wes from Better Than the Movies, but Alec? Game over.
When circumstances force Alec and Dani into fake dating, it becomes more than just a high school ruse. They’re navigating old wounds, unresolved feelings, and slowly remembering what made them inseparable in the first place. The line between fake and real blurs, and the result is full of longing, charm, and so much heart.
The banter? Top-tier. The chemistry? Off the charts. The emotion? Hit me square in the chest. Fake Skating has everything I adore about Lynn Painter’s books—snappy dialogue, swoony romance, and characters that feel like they could be you.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book!