There are a lot of good life lessons explored in this young adult romance. The characters are well-rounded and I loved the growth and insight into teenage thought processes. The storyline is well-written and the conclusion wraps everything up nicely. I really enjoy this author's writing style and the audiobook is a great way to enjoy this story. Rachel L. Jacobs does a fantastic job with the narration.

So here’s the thing: I have had this book on my shelf for a long time now and I have not once attempted to read it. I’m so sorry for accepting the request on this and not reading it but I can only blame my baby Bookstagrammer self who was so excited to be a part of the Penguin Teen influencer list and requested all the books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
Teenagers screwing up their lives in the most unlikely ways, always fun.
#HeartbreakersandFakers #NetGalley

I love this author's work! She creates such lovable and realistic YA characters. I do have to say that these books lean on the older side of YA.

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

I did not finish this one. I was a big fan of The Best Laid by this author, this book just wasn't for me. I have nothing bad to say about it, it just wasn't my personal taste.

I made it about 1/4 of the way through this novel and gave up. I think it was going to be a cute YA read but I just think I’m not really interested in YA romance anymore. I thought the “friends” were pretty awful and it just made me sad. This was a dnf for me. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I was so bored that I simply couldn't continue. I tried really hard though because I felt like the FMC was going to have a great characters development and find new, better friends, and start living a real life, but I couldn't do it. Did not finish.

Heartbreakers and Fakers has been on my TBR since it released last summer. I don’t read a lot of YA, but Cameron Lund’s Best Laid Plans is still one of my favorites and I’m so glad I finally picked up Heartbreakers and Fakers!

This was perfect for summer! Penny, a rising senior, is so excited to spend an amazing summer with her friends, but after making a huge mistake, she has to spend the summer figuring out who she is and what she wants. It was hilarious, angsty, and the sweetest combo of enemies-to-lovers and fake dating. There were a few times I eye-rolled because of how immature the characters were, but I did appreciate their growth. Overall, it was so much fun and perfect for fans of Mean Girls!

Thank you so much Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the gifted copy and PRH Audio and Libro.fm for the gifted audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This was such a great read! I love Cameron's characters and the relationships that are in this book! It was a fun and fast read!

While I love a good fake dating trope, this one felt at odds with me because the two MCs only started fake dating because they cheated on their respective partners and to seek forgiveness from their friends and ex bf/gf, they pretended they were so in love. Something about that just made it seem off to me.

However, things did end up being super adorable and the two MCs did grow a lot throughout the book so they were redeemed in a way. The second half was infinitely better than the first half and there were a lot of great quotes at the end.

This was a coming-of-age novel that gives you fake dating to friends to lovers during the summer leading up to her senior year. She has had bone to pick with Kai since elementary school and has hates ever since But you know what they say about the thin line between love and hate. During this summer, she learns to forgive others, became self aware and see people for who they really are.

If you’re looking for a fun and fast contemporary read, Heartbreakers and Fakers is here to help you accomplish all your reading goals! Last year, I found myself falling for the best-friends-to-lovers romance between Keely and Andrew in Cameron Lund’s debut novel, The Best Laid Plans.

Naturally, I knew I had to pick up Lund’s sophomore novel to re-experience all the best parts of YA contemporary. Heartbreakers and Fakers takes on the genre’s most popular tropes, including fake dating and enemies-to-lovers.

After waking up with no memory of last night’s party, Penny is shocked to find herself best friend-less and boyfriend-less. Realizing she had accidentally kissed her best friend, Olivia’s boyfriend, Kai, she decides to enter a fake dating contract with Kai in order to salvage the perfect summer she’s been planning.

I didn’t find the set-up of the fake dating to be as well-explained as I would’ve liked. Many of my criticisms with The Best Laid Plans continue to apply here. Namely, I was turned off by the girl-on-girl hate that continues to remain unchallenged by the end of the book.

Kai is also a Japanese American love interest, but his background is barely explored in the novel. There’s a one-off sentence explaining how he was bullied for his appearance growing up as a moment for the two characters to grow closer, but otherwise, I didn’t find this inclusion well-explored or explained in the story.

Still, while the plotline was messy, I found myself enjoying and speeding through til the end. The summer vibes and banter were too much fun. I would still prefer Lund’s debut novel over this one, but I’m excited to see what she writes next!

Fresh and fun! I enjoyed Heartbreakers and Fakers!

Penny Harris just ruined her life.

As one of the most popular girls in school, she's used to being invited to every party, is dating the Jordan Parker, and can't wait to rule senior year with her best friend, Olivia. But when Penny wakes up on Jordan's lawn the morning after his first-day-of-summer bash, she knows something went horribly wrong the night before.

She kissed Kai Tanaka.

Kai, her longtime nemesis. Kai, Olivia's boyfriend. Penny can't figure out what could have inspired her to do it--she loves Jordan and she would never hurt Olivia--but one thing's for sure: freshly dumped, and out a best friend, the idyllic summer she pictured is over.

And despite the fact that Jordan seems to be seeking comfort (and a whole lot more) in Olivia, all Penny can think about is winning him back. Kai wants to save his relationship too, so they come up with a plan: convince their friends that they really do have feelings for each other. After all, everyone forgives a good love story, and maybe seeing Penny and Kai together will make Jordan and Olivia change their minds.

But as summer heats up, so does Penny and Kai's "relationship," and Penny starts to question whether she's truly faking it with Kai, if he's really as terrible as she always thought he was, and if the life she's fighting so hard to get back is the one she really wants.

I meant to read this one in the summer, as that is the season when it takes place! I previously enjoyed Cameron Lund's book The Best Laid Plans. This one was a little too angsty for me though! It also features a love triangle, which I hate, but even worse, because it was a love square! There were some smart points in this book, like about how being popular may not be the ultimate happiness, and how some friends are toxic. I thought the relationship pairings were pretty obvious, and as an adult, I could see how stupid the teens were acting. This book makes me worry for my teenaged daughter!

this was very fun to read! it was almost reminiscent of Mean Girls with the fake dating, rivals to lovers, terrible best friend, etc. it was sweet but at times could've benefitted from a little bit of nuance, but otherwise, i really enjoyed this.

Fake dating your enemy to win back your ex is a trope I loved on this story I enjoyed reading every second of this drama and humorous antics these teens put the reader thru. From some selfishness to a variety of emotional ranges. It’s angsty , it has the typical push and pull . Loved it

Always in a mood for a cute contemporary. This book was one I couldn’t put down. The characters were enticing and interesting. The plot kept me going. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

This was such a fun read! I wasn’t a fan of the mean girl clique but other than that it was a really enjoyable YA contemporary. Penny has a lot of character growth which makes the story more enjoyable.