Rebekah Weatherspoon has been becoming one of my favorite authors over the last year, however this book wasn’t for me. I really love the female main character, but the male main character & the story as a whole fell flat for me. I took a break from reading it at 30% in with the intention of coming back to it later, but I just don’t feel the urge to continue. I don’t really care how the story ends. I still look forward to reading more by this author in the future though! This one just couldn’t hold my attention.

Her Good Side is a very sweet teen romance about two very inexperienced daters who just can’t seem to get it together and find a good relationship, let alone make one stick. The girls are all suddenly taking an interest in Jacob, but there’s no one with whom he feels comfortable being himself. Bethany has an embarrassing past that she can’t outrun and the boys in her class aren’t sure if she’s open to dating or not. These two are absolute rockstars when it comes to their passions, but their love lives are lacklustre. Why not date each other? It’s a prime opportunity for them to build confidence, to try out dating in a safe environment, and to discover what it means to confide in another.

What neither one of them saw coming was the development of serious feelings. They both know that there’s a deadline on the horizon for the agreed-upon end of their relationship, but what are they to do when they independently begin to feel something more than just friendship?

This story is quirky, flirtatious, and fun. The characters are loveable, and even the secondary characters feel tangible and relatable. It’s a simple story that we’ve seen time and time again, but Weatherspoon has come at it with a refreshing twist. I think these protagonists are really accessible to a wide array of readers, in ways that so many stories are not. They are so real. There are many readers who will see themselves in Jacob or Bethany. The diversity in this book is to die for; it’s so representative of the modern world and fully encompassing of teens today.

The characters are balancing school, the pressure of the real world, their looming and uncertain futures, and the friendships and relationships that are just regular part of high school life. I could see any one of them in my own high school experience, and that was refreshing. No gimmicks, nothing over the top, and it was all the more relatable for it. I really enjoyed this read, and I hope you will too. This is a must-have as we head towards the summer season.

This was such a cute YA novel!! It has perfect descriptions of how awkward some situations are in high school and how teenagers maneuver them! The two main characters, Bethany “Bets” Greene & her fake boyfriend Jacob had perfect “should we go there?” chemistry!!

I also love that there was a lot of representation of different cultures & genders in this book! It felt as though the author took very good care about being knowledgeable about the terms being used

Cute YA Romance. The book was well written and incorporated body positivity, self esteem, and racial relations themes throughout the story line. This was both entertaining and impactful. Will be reading more by this author.

*** 3,5 Sterne ***


Dieses Buch hier ist eine süße und authentische Liebesgeschichte rund um die erste große Liebe.

Ich muss sagen, dass ich dieses Buch mehr mochte als ich dachte.
In der Regel lese ich eher weniger YA Romance aber hier hat mich das Cover einfach angesprochen. Die Farben sind sehr schön knallig aber ohne zu aufdringlich zu wirken. Cover ist also auf jedenfall schonmal sehr ansprechend.
Doch auch die Geschichte hat ihre tollen Seiten. Zunächst mal finde ich die Protagonisten hier sehr gut dargestellt und ihrem Alter entsprechend verhalten sie sich auch. Und zwar mit genau der richtigen Portion jugendlicher Naivität und das gute bekannte Verkopft sein. Und genau das spiegelt sich in der Geschichte wieder wodurch diese sehr authentisch wird.
An der ein oder anderen Stelle habe ich mich zwar gefragt, wie oft ich noch lesen muss, dass sie sich xy nicht traut aber wenn ich mal so zurückdenke war es bei mir ziemlich sicher genau so.

Die Geschichte ist also genau für diejenigen etwas, die etwas lockeres wollen, etwas, womit man sich in seine eigene Jugend zurückversetzen kann und was lockerleicht zu lesen ist.

Das englisch ist hier sowohl für Anfänger als auch für Fortgeschrittene gut lesbar also braucht man keine Hemmungen zu haben wegen der Sprache.

This book was absolutely adorable, and I am mad at myself for taking this long to read it. I loved the message of self-confidence, body-positivity, and that it's okay to not rush into sexual relations with someone you're dating. Both of the MC's were endearing, and I was rooting for them both from the very beginning. As a middle school teacher (of 8th graders), I could see this situation playing out with some of my students, which also made my heart melt - not that I would ever tell them that.

Seriously, a feel-good read that is quick, but will leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm so here for the diversity of this book in both race/culture and body size. I love a fake dating trope and how it always seems to grow into more. It felt very natural with Bethany and Jacob and the dual point of view. It's really a joyful and supportive relationship especially for ya romance. I liked that they had good conversations to see what they might be comfortable with and do appreciate that for young readers eyes and taking in that information.

This was a very cute YA romance with a diverse cast of characters. It was very refreshing to see teens acting like teens. I wasn't completely sold on the set up for the fake dating in this one but Bethany and Jacob's friendship helped sell it for me.

I will say that outside of the diversity, this book didn't offer much new and different to the YA romance genre. I do think it will be great for teens especially those looking to see themselves represented though.

I have loved Weatherspoon since her first book Treasure but this one was amazing. Felt totally different and almost grown up. I loved it. Highly rec.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it!

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoy it in YA! It’s so fun.
This was an adorable story from start to finish.
I loved every character! The MCs and all the side characters were all fantastic.

I loved the representation and the body positivity throughout. There’s just so many good things happening in this story.

Overall I enjoyed the story, I look forward to more by this author.

I love Weatherspoon's writing and was so happy to se her give YA a try. This was so good and really felt like she knew who she was writing about and for!! I have recommended this to my students countless times and am looking forward to her next novel!

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This is the story of high school students Bethany Greene and Jacob Yeun as they navigate having relationships and all the fun and not so fun aspects of high school. Bethany has discovered her attraction for men and wants to set the record straight that she is available unlike what everyone else thinks at school. Jacob on the other hand has had a few girlfriends. However, he has just been dumped by his girlfriend. His girlfriend wanted to move further in their relationship than what he was comfortable with.

I thought this was a great story with such diverse characters. I loved that normal topics about high school were mentioned and covered. I thought the author did a great job of making it seem normal. I believe these are great topics for young adults to be reading about and normalizing.

Content: Swearing, body shaming, talk about sex

Read if you enjoy:
Diversity
Dual Point of View
High School Stories
Romance
Coming of Age/ Character Development

Bethany is set on asking her crush to go to Homecoming with her, but when he turns her down, she decides she needs to do something. She agrees to go to Homecoming instead with her best friend's boyfriend, but when they break up, she has no clue what to do. Eventually, Bethany and Jacob decide to still go together and decide to fake-date to bolster their reputations. The only issue is fake dating never really is fake. This was a fun YA romance about two awkward teens whose fake dating turns real.

It's hard growing up in a family so cool that even your teen peers acknowledge it. Bethany does her best and her best is adorable. I enjoyed her friend group and how much this story relied on her finding ways to embrace her inherent talents rather than her being sidelined by body insecurity - as way too many of us are even post-adolescence.

Lighthearted romance books with a multicultural cast are too few and far between. This is an easy addition to the shelves for teachers and librarians.

DNF at 55%

I wanted to like this book so badly, but unfortunately, this just isn't the book for me. These characters read too young to me and I wasn't invested in the story.

This is such a well balanced story. The characters were trying to find their footing in a changing landscape between a child and an adult. It comes with mistakes, embarrassment, and friendship. The author brought back those feelings of wanting to get to know someone better, crushes, and self doubt. Throw in rejection and you have a great story.
The characters were so unique and vulnerable. I was rooting for them.
Enjoy!

I dnfed this book at 60%. I tried to stick with it, however, it bugged me that everything would have been good if they communicated better. Not just in the relationship but with their parents and friends too.

It's not the book I've read, but Her Good Side is cute, fun, and addictive. Fake dating is one of my favorite comfort tropes, and Rebekah Weatherspoon had a great take on it. Bethany's voice is fairly strong and entertaining, the side characters are fun, and the banter is cute. I do wish the characters were developed more and think the plot needed some work. Still, there's something unputdownable about Rebekah Weatherspoon's debut that makes it a quick weekend read.

The book was cute! Im definitely not in my YA romance phase anymore so it was a bit immature for me but i love the representation.!