"She's Faking It" by Kristin Rockaway is a contemporary novel that aims to capture the complexities of finding oneself amidst the chaos of social media and personal insecurities. Rockaway introduces a relatable protagonist whose journey of self-discovery and quest for authenticity is timely in today's digital age. However, the story often treads into predictable territory, with the plot and character arcs feeling somewhat formulaic and lacking depth. While the narrative attempts to engage with relevant themes such as the pressures of online personas and the search for genuine success, it falls short in delivering a truly impactful or memorable message. Ultimately, "She's Faking It" provides a light, occasionally entertaining read, but fails to fully capitalize on its potential to explore its themes with the nuance and depth they deserve.

2.5 stars

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Another fun romance from Kristin Rockaway - who wouldn't love to see the veil pulled back on influencer culture and Rockaway did a great job at this. This was an excellent follow up to her stellar debut.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I didn't care for this book though it is relevant for this time as Instagram is all the rage.

Even though I have read (and enjoyed) a book by this author before, I was surprised with just how much I liked this novel.

This is a book that along with being fun and humorous, captures the truly negative aspects of social media and the harm that comparison can cause through falsehoods that people create. Even though there were some moments that were dramatized for entertainment, I could easily see some of the situations in this novel happening in real life.

This was a really enjoyable read but one that comes with a little bit of discomfort because it makes you question the impact and influence social media has on all of us.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

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On a whim on Thursday I randomly picked up She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway. I had this through @netgalley last year and I’m not sure why I haven’t picked it up sooner. I really enjoyed her previous novel How To Hack A Heartbreak, which made me super excited for this release last year. ⁣
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She’s Faking It follows Bree who hasn’t had it easy since she was 14. Her mother died, she dropped out of college, her boyfriend left her 7 months ago, she’s in debt, and working as essentially a GrubHub driver. Just when she thinks life can’t get any worse it does. In walks Trey and the Instagram world and she thinks her life is beginning to turn around.⁣
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I don’t know how to say this, but I really didn’t enjoy this book at all. I found the character development to be lacking. She continued to make mistakes and knew she was making the mistake before she did it, which was irritating. By time she was finally appeared to be learning her lesson the book was over. I didn’t feel a connection between Bree and Trey. I don’t even know why he liked her honestly because they didn’t even have many positive interactions. I just found this book to be really frustrating.⁣
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2 stars! ⭐️⭐️⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this for you!⁣
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This was a solid book - nothing more nothing less. It had great themes of friendship and I quite enjoyed the discourse on social media and how it affects and changes our lives. I found the romance aspect to be second thought and really lack lustre. It was still cute, but I know she can do better.

This takes on social media influencers and how things online aren’t always what they seem. I enjoyed this message of this one and most of the story, but I did not care for the romance. Since romance is my jam, I was disappointed in this one.

This story is an interesting and fun look at the world of social media influencers and their rise to fame. Bree is a recent college grad who doesn’t have a job in her field so in the meantime, she is working at a temporary job. She is living in a financial squeeze and when one thing breaks the cycle, she gets desperate for how to make ends meet. She learns from a self help book to start an Instagram account and then becomes the face of the organization where she got the idea. This is a double edged sword in that she can pay her bills but how much does the “fame” interfere with real life?
This is a cute read for anyone who is curious about the aspects of social media.
#ShesFakingIt #Netgalley #Harlequin #GraydonHouse

***ARC Provided by the Publisher***

I think I loved the idea of this book more than the execution. Not that it was bad, not at all, but I think I wanted a little more depth in some areas than I got out of it. Not in all of the book, just in some places.

Not sure I was really drawn in to the emotion of the romance with Bree and Trey. I wanted them to work, and I wanted there to be an attraction with them...at times, I thought that I wanted this more than either of them wanted it. This book was more women's fiction, so the lack of a strong romance in the story wasn't a huge issue, but I did want a little more from it than I got.

I enjoyed the relationship with Natasha and Bree, and thought the sisters bond part of the story was the strongest. There was a lot in this, from the difference of the Audi driving sister to Bree who was a little more free spirited and I enjoyed watching them figure out how to not only be sisters but to also embrace those differences.

I thought the discussion/storyline in this about Social Media and it's pitfalls, the need to be perfect and whether or not you really are what you show on posts was both interesting and topical. I think we all know that the things you see on social media aren't real and that they can be damaging if you try to live up to the ideals, but I thought the look at that damage from the perspective of the influencer was interesting.

I did enjoy this title overall and I do recommend it. It's an easy and somewhat lighter summer read.

The story was kinda predictable and the ending felt a bit abrupt but I still really enjoyed this book! It was fun to see how influencers are. Sure, I've been part of the bookstagram community for years now but I still don't know everything so it was fun to see. Bree should've just went with bookstagram, lol. That would have been more fun, haha. I like the camp thing a lot, it was very interesting to read about. It makes me really question if influencers in real life do those things. I'd honestly be scared to part take in that.

Anyway, I love the characters. I related to Bree a lot in the sense of feeling lost because she just doesn't know her purpose and oftentimes, she needs help from her older sister. Trey is cute, I kinda wish I got to know him more because I don't have a full opinion of him. But from what I read, I liked him.

I really liked this book! This is the second story that I've read by this author and they were both enjoyable. I found this story to be fresh and interesting. I really like the main character and the setting! Makes me want to travel to San Diego.

i really enjoyed this one! I connected really well with the main character and related so much to what she was going through. Plus the tone was so upbeat, even dealing with some challenging topics, and the pace moved pretty quickly. I’m looking forward to finding more books by this author.

Bree, the MC, is so very much like me in that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life and is sort of just drifting along on the edge of disaster. Unlike me, Bree was at least young enough for it to be acceptable. She’s dissatisfied with the status quo, but has no idea to go about changing it and doesn’t think she is either capable or deserving of more.

Natasha, Bree’s older sister, has always been there to take care of Bree. She is successful and driven, cares immensely about her family, but underneath it all, I sense the insecurities that live inside of us all. She pushes Bree to do more, but loves and supports her no matter what. And while her husband and daughter play very minor roles in the story, it is clear that they adore Bree as well.

Some of the other players have pretty small, but important roles, like Bree’s best friend- who is supportive but also pushes back- and her ex-boyfriend, who is a total narcissist.

And finally, there is Bree’s new love interest Trey. Trey has been burned in the past and is slow to trust and quick to judge, sure that he’s being taken advantage of because of his celebrity. He has a good heart and wants to give back, but his unwillingness to listen is a problem.

This book takes place in San Diego, which was hugely nostalgic for me, as this is where I grew up. While I didn’t live in Pacific Beach, I did spend some time there and recognized a lot of the landmarks that were mentioned.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher {Harlequin & Graydon House} through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a fun read! Was surprised how much I liked it! Very entertaining and eye opening in a way. Gave me a different view of social media, especially, Instagram, not that I do much social media anyway. Stepped back a while ago.

Thank you @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for a copy of She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway.

She’s Faking It follows Bree, a college dropout working for GrubHub and drowning in student loan debt. When her car breaks down, she realizes she can’t make rent, and she has no prospects. Her sister Natasha shares a copy of a self help book that helps her and Bree starts an Instagram page for inspiration to find her passion. When a company reaches out for a collab, she becomes a nano-Influencer and learns that sometimes you can’t put a filter on all your problems.

I liked this one. Bree is a little lost but she is easy to root for. The influencer culture parts were so true and funny. There is a little romance with a famous surfer neighbour but I liked that it was just a side story and the main storyline was Bree figuring herself and her life out for herself and by herself, not for a new love. Overall, a fun and quick read. I liked this author’s last book as well so I think she might be a new go-to author.

4.25 Stars / 1 Steam Fans

She's Faking It is a story about a woman trying to find her place in the world. In a world where social media is the new way to prove yourself, Bree finds ways to improve herself, possibly. Throughout Bree's journey, she finds that things are not always what they appear. There were moments during the beginning of the book that I found Bree to be annoying, privileged, and unrelatable; however, I am happy that I finished the book to see the entire journey.

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As much as I tried to get into this book, and I felt for Bree but I couldn't help but feel she wouldn't get out of her own way and was turned off. Then when she starts gaining notoriety, it just felt.. fake.

she's faking it by kristin rockaway is so cute and precious and fun and funny and swell and i loved it andp lease write more books so i can read thenm and i hope i get approved for all of them. thank you.

This book was such a treat. I really love Kristin Rockaway's writing because it feels like fun and fresh. I really loved this book.

The perils of "faking it 'til you make it" on social media are explored in Kristin Rockaway's new novel, She's Faking It - a book just as irresistible as last year's How to Hack a Heartbreak. Bree Bozeman, down on her luck after dropping out of college, breaking up with her loser boyfriend, and drifting from meaningless job to another, decides on a whim to give Instagram influencing a try after her put-together older sister pushes an uber-popular self-help guru's inspirational manual on her. Now Bree is "choosing happy" and "manifesting her destiny" ... or is she? Because not everything on social media is as it seems, and Bree can't help but think she's only just "faking it" and is a fraud. Can Bree truly make her life as perfect as it seems on Instagram, or will she fall prey to selling her soul and self-worth for likes?

She's Faking It is a book I solely picked up based upon the author. I read Kristin Rockaway's How to Hack a Heartbreak last year and was thoroughly entertained. She's Faking It is just as good. What Rockaway does so well is in keeping her books simple and not over-complicating them with superfluous details or characters. I really appreciate that as a reader because, let's face it, life is busy and our attention is constantly being pulled in a million different directions. Personally, that makes it difficult for me to really get lost in my books, and when the author spams me with unnecessary details, I start to lose interest. Not with Rockaway! Her plots are clear and focused, and she provides just enough character details to grab your interest, but not overwhelm you.

There have been a lot of books published about social media lately, as it is such a prevalent force in our lives nowadays. I didn't think that there was much left to cover, but Rockaway put a new spin on things, by showing how influencers hock themselves in exchange for product collaborations and hopefully, likes and followers. And if you're having trouble gathering a loyal following, no worries, because you can also purchase a bundle of "bots" to follow you and make it appear as if you're an influencer to watch. With ordinary people becoming online-famous simply from their social media accounts, I found this little behind-the-scenes peek fascinating, as well as mildly disturbing.

She's Faking It is recommended to those who are looking for a light, summer read; a book that you can bring to the beach, sit back and relax, and enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.