Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.
It was cute. I think as a debut, the author did well. I think some of the plot fell through though. Sometimes things were expected and just fell flat. I believe the beginning at potential, the middle was boring and the end picked back up.
The mixed review could be because the audience was pointed for young adults. I am not reading only romance as well.
I thought the characters were cute and was rooting for them. I believe the author has great potential and will be looking for more from her.

I needed a lighthearted, fun book like this. I thought it was sweet, capitalized on some tropes, and overall just made for a very fun book. I felt there was good representation, and the side characters were more dimensional (sometimes side characters can be very boring and flat) and added a lot of value to the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the ARC!

2.75 stars rounded up
*Full star taken off for a Harry Potter reference in a queer book in 2025.

I feel like the publishers are hoping Raegan Revord's name recognition will sell this book without investing too much into their actual writing development.

The premise is super cute - scavenger hunt to deal with grief, plus fake dating and Sapphic (my favorite) - and the cast of side characters was diverse and included mental health and physical disability representation, plus a positive representation of therapy, which I always appreciate.

The writing needs work. It's not bad for a teen's first attempt at a YA novel, but that's exactly how it reads. It needs editing. The first half seems like it was polished pretty decently, but the second half needs work still.

There are instances of where it seems like Maddi's pronouns were changed but the verb following did not ("they does" is one example). The backstory info-dumping right near the end when supposedly the two who did that had been building a close friendship with Avery over the course of the whole year lessened the impact. There are a couple scenes that made no sense to include as they didn't seem to have any kind of impact on Avery's character or the plot. Avery made references to being in med school, but...she's basically taking generals this first year of college, she's not in med school yet. The last few chapters felt pretty rushed, but the epilogue sort of made up for it as a nice conclusion.

This could easily be a 4.5 or even 5 star read if it was revised and the HP reference removed. (Use Star Wars as an example instead. It's basically the same story and would have proven Avery's point in that class.)

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Rules for Fake Girlfriends is a great book. Avery's character throughout the book and the inner monologue was enough to keep me engaged. The story follows Avery as she is heading to college in search of clues (of where her mom also went to college) to be close to her. Losing a parent is never easy so, I feel this scavenger hunt was a great example of how someone could attain some closure to the loss.

Avery's character goes through a sort of 'fake relationship' with Charlie a girl she meets on the train. Of course, when you're dealing with a 'fake relationship' real feelings always get in the way. I think this book would be appropriate for YA - early 20s. Although an adult is more than welcome to read it, just be prepared for the giggles from the characters and the slight nod to how relationships no matter the gender can be complicated and blossom into something beautiful if we let it.

OMG this romcom was absolutely adorable..I love how it started as a fake dating but the main character really finds her way especially after losing her mom and traveling half way around the world to attend college.

you can tell this is a debut novel, take that how you will. but the level of overall immaturity and just lack of meaningful plot. trust it was a fun read, but nothing to write home about it

*Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books for proving with E-ARC via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

I was excited about this book since Raegan Revord announced that she is writing it. I adored her in Young Sheldon and follow her book club. I was even more excited when I won a physical ARC in a Goodreads giveaway. There is so much I want to say about this story, so many emotions that are going through me right now, and I know that this is the book that I will end up re-reading in the future. Rules For Fake Girlfriends had everything that I love about rom coms. I fell in love not only with the story, but also with its characters. Revord made it sound realistic, simply based on emotions and actions of the characters. She made the character come to life for me.

I enjoyed the aspect of the scavenger hunt, and I understand why Avery felt the need to go there, but I also understood her father's feelings. I loved the way each chapter was titled as "rom come rule," and I enjoyed reading each one. I adored Charlie and Avery from the start, especially their connection. I was rooting for those two from the beginning, hoping for a happy ending.

Every character stood out for me in this book, even the minor ones. Most of all, I loved the way that grief was portrayed in this book. This book made me cry several times, but it also made me smile, laugh, and become annoyed. I felt like I was a part of Avery's crowd, which was what I liked about it. This was an incredible debut novel that inspired me to continue working on my own book. I can't wait to see what Raegan Revord has planned for us next!

I really wanted to like this one—the premise sounded fun, like a mix of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Love, Rosie with a British seaside twist. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t there for me.

The whole “pretend girlfriend to make the ex jealous” setup felt incredibly cliché and predictable, and Avery as a main character was hard to root for. She’s supposed to be rom-com obsessed, but instead of being quirky and charming, she came across as indecisive and whiny. The scavenger hunt left by her mother could’ve been a really emotional, meaningful plotline, but it ended up feeling rushed and underdeveloped—more like a checklist than a heartfelt journey.

As for the romance, I didn’t feel much chemistry between Avery and Charlie. Their relationship leaned too heavily on the fake dating trope without giving me real moments to believe in their connection. By the time the “secrets” came out, I was more annoyed than intrigued.

Overall, it felt like the book wanted to be both a touching story about grief and a swoony rom-com, but it didn’t succeed at either.

Rules For Fake Girlfriends by Raegan Revord is the kind of book that you want to give a big hug to after reading. Raegan Revord gives us an emotionally driven story that is equal parts coming of age, swoon-worthy rom-com, and a hint of mystery, all within a beautiful, charming, British town. Our first FMC and narrator is the kind of character you root for from the first page you meet her. Reading as she navigates, fresh starts, new beginnings, grief, and heartbreak all at once was a roller coaster to say the least but I was happy to be along for the ride. Avery’s character and experience was beautifully written and Raegan Revord was able to encapsulate what a realistic young woman, experiencing all of these complex emotions at once can look like, and handled all the difficult subjects in the book with the utmost care. Our other FMC, Charlie, is also someone you’d want in your own inner circle in real life, and someone you are rooting for a happy ending for. From the minute these two characters met, you could feel the romantic tension and chemistry between the pages, yet the progress of their connection felt natural. Although their connection was great, what really elevated this book for me was the found family within Avery’s friend group that she built along the way. Her friend group feels like a breath of fresh air, they’re vibrant, and supportive beyond measure, and every scene with them in it feels like a group hug. Reagan Revord also doesn’t just include LGBTQIA+ characters in her story, but she celebrates them, highlighting even the side characters’ queer experiences. This book was more than just a romance. It’s about taking the leap when everything feels uncertain, healing from loss, and discovering who you are. If you are a fan of the fake dating trope, scavenger hunts around the town, and have enjoyed other popular LGBTQIA+ YA novels like Heartstopper, and Red White and Royal Blue, this book definitely deserves a spot on your TBR. Thank you Raegan Revord, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

really fun and interesting romance with some cool vibes and awesome vibes. would definitely recommend this one. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This had a very strong start and fantastic premise: Rom-com about rom-com-obsessed college-bound girl who makes the drastic choice to forego Columbia to attend her mother's alma mater in order to follow the first clue to a scavenger hunt her mother sent her just before she died. The distance between our Avery and her father, and the separation as she parts ways with her best friends to go to a different college, solidify the connections to the main character right away. Right away, we pivot to the introduction of Charlie, Avery's new friend/fake girlfriend, which was so ridiculous it was fun! I very much enjoyed the reading Avery's journey from knowing it wouldn't end well--to swearing it has to end--to where she winds up.

The story was a fresh take on an old idea, and had moments of real charm; however, the execution and character development needs some more work for consistency and pacing. There were some descriptions that did not add up, many repetitive words and emotions that slowed the overall story, and the pacing for the scavenger hunt was sporadic. That said, it does come to a conclusion I think readers will enjoy.

I would rate this 3.5 Stars but rounded up to 4 on Goodreads. The author had a great idea, fantastic chapter titles that suck you in, and a great idea. I hope they continue writing and would read another book they pen.

⋆｡°✩ 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ⋆｡°✩

4.25 stars | a cute and heartfelt sapphic romance | 0.5/3 spice, 0/3 violence, mild profanity, trigger warnings such as self harm and eating disorders | cute romance, cool setting, and interesting subplot!


*:･ﾟ✧♡ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 *:･ﾟ✧♡

Characters: the characters didn’t particularly stand out to me, as someone who really appreciates well written characters, however I really liked how much representation we had in this book. Gay, non-binary, disability, trans, and self harm were all portrayed (incorrect grammar I know) and it sort of flowed well; it didn’t feel too forced, if you know what I mean? But everything was addressed and made to feel real, again, if you know what I mean, and I really liked that.
Setting: setting was probably my favorite part; Brighton was just so cool, and it wasn’t explained in super detail but I still really liked the vibes we got.
Plot: the plot was pretty good; I liked the fake dating and the slow burn, but I don’t really have much to say about it.
Also, can I just say that Avery was pretty relatable? Except for the few times where her absolute obliviousness drove me mad, I really sympathized with her about a lot. Reading, writing, friends; I felt all of that. Except for relationships. Couldn’t be me. XD
But in seriousness, Charlie and Avery were so cute, and the whole of the concert was just so swoon worthy. I love them.


‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

First, at some points the pacing felt a little disjointed. The passing of time wasn’t super natural, like there were time skips where there shouldn’t have been and weren’t time skips where there should have been you know? So that sort of took away from the plot.
And the plot. In regard to Avery and Charlie’s relationship, I think it was focused on a lot more in the beginning of the book rather than towards the end. It was from a romance book to a story about grief and loss and back again, and while these are all important parts of the story, I wish they had been incorporated a bit more naturally.


* ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝕨𝕣𝕒𝕡-𝕦𝕡 * ੈ✩‧₊˚

Overall, this was a really cute book, with a diverse cast of characters and interesting fake dating. If you’re looking for aforementioned fake dating or just a cute book, I’d recommend this!!!


⋆˚⚡︎˖° 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 ⋆˚⚡︎˖°

Rules for Fake Girlfriends releases September 2, 2025!!!


˙⋆.˚𐙚 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 ˙⋆.˚𐙚

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and to NetGalley for giving me a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
All thoughts are my own :D

Rules for Fake Girlfriends was a surprisingly charming and fun read. I really enjoyed the humor and the playful dynamics between the characters—it felt fresh and lighthearted without being overly predictable. The romance was sweet and engaging, though at times I wished for a bit more depth in the emotional moments. Overall, it was an entertaining, feel-good story that kept me smiling, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute, romantic read.

Child star Raegan Revord walloped me right on the head with her debut. Amongst the YA romcom shenanigans is a striking work on grief. Here's hoping her next book is just thought provoking. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you St. Martin's for this ARC!

This was a sweet debut novel.
I enjoyed the writing between our two main characters.

Cute, funny and lovely queer rep for YA audiences.
Looking forward to other releases.

Thank you net Haley for a advanced copy of this this book was honestly so good i loved every minute and the tension was amazing I wish I could re read will be buying and physical copy and Reagan im so proud of you for chasing your dreams and writing would love a sequal

This book is really for the romcom lovers. I picked this up with my only understanding of the plot coming from the title because I am a fan of Raegan Revord, and I’m so glad I did! This book is self aware in a way that many romcoms aren’t and I think that’s what makes it so fun. Also, I’m a sucker for fun chapter titles, so I was happy to see those featured in this.

Rules for Fake Girlfriends follows Avery as she tries to find herself after a big change and experiences many firsts along the way. Revord put so much love and depth into Avery that I really appreciated; she’s not a perfect character, she makes mistakes that are appropriate for her circumstances, she experiences emotions the same way many her age would, and she grows in a way that is satisfying but doesn’t make it feel like she did a complete one eighty. Besides Avery, all of the friends she makes have their own stories that you get sucked into, wanting everyone to have their own success story.

I really enjoyed both of the main plots in this story, obviously the romance, and the journey Avery goes on in this new place. This was such a fun read, and I loved seeing some of my favorite romcoms mentioned and the tropes that are always present being called out (in a good way, of course). There is amazing LGBTQ+ and disability representation, and overall this is such a sweet debut novel from Revord and I can’t wait to follow their journey as an author. If you’re a romcom fan, you definitely need to check this one out on September 2nd!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

✉️ : Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to have a copy of this arc.
I do look forward to reading more by Raegan in the future, this was a cute read

I fell in love with this book pretty much right away, in a way it reminded me of Love & Gelato, which was also a really good read.
I really loved the characters, the meet cute, and especially the scavenger hunt, which was fun. ─Though I wish there was more of that, at times I felt like it was forgotten─
I do feel like some parts of the book felt a little rushed but it was still great.
The characters had tons of diversity and the friend group was fun and they had pretty good development.
I 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 when chapters have names, so this was adorable (e.g. 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 #1: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝘼 𝙏𝙤𝙣 𝙊𝙛 𝘽𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 #7: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤-𝙉𝙤𝙩-𝘼-𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙣 𝘼 𝙏𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙐𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙎𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙄𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙍𝙤𝙢-𝘾𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚 #14: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙆𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙄𝙨 𝘽𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙥𝙞𝙘, etc.) It's always such a fun addition to a book and I wish more books would have them.
For a debut novel this is really good, the writing is nice though not perfect. Some bits felt a little repetitive but it wasn't to the point to where it was unbearable.
Fake dating is a favorite trope of mine, Charlie and Avery were really cute, I do wish there was more communicating though.
I did want to point out the fact that Maddi, goes by they/them pronouns, nothing wrong with that of course, but at a few times in the book (I think only at the end, or at least for the most part) I did notice that she/her was used for Maddi.
Also the descriptions of the characters got changed up from time to time, Avery was said to have hazel eyes, and later blue eyes, same happened with a few other characters multiple times too.
This is still an arc (though the book gets published in 15 days, I don't think there's time for some stuff to be changed but🤷‍♀️)

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. Honestly, the sole reason I picked this ARC was cause of who the author is. I don't really read contemporary romance, but I do love sapphic romance. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this, I didn't really like the writing style, nor was I invested in the plot. I think if I was a lot younger, I would really like this.

•*⁀➷ 4.75 ✰’s
♪ 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣- 𝙛𝙖𝙮𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:

𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘰, 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹-𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.

𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀/𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀:
𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨-𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵
𝘳𝘰𝘮-𝘤𝘰𝘮
𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨
𝘓𝘘𝘉𝘛𝘘+ 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺

𝘁𝘄:
𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧
𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵
𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳
𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮
𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘢

𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

this was such a fun, adorable, fast-paced romance, and a great debut novel. i really enjoyed the aspect of the scavenger hunt and i thought that was super fun as well as the fake dating too! i loved all the characters so much, they were amazing. i also loved the character development between each character throughout the novel. i also really liked the titles to each chapter, i thought it was unique and cute at the same time!

(e.g. from chapter 1)
“𝒓𝒐𝒎-𝒄𝒐𝒎 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆 #1: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆.”

though, the only thing that bothered me is at times, the scavenger hunt would be forgotten about at points in the story, and i too would end up forgetting about it, and also the ending felt rushed, but at the same time not? i feel as though the novel could’ve been a tiny bit longer to fill it in.

but overall, this is definitely-hands down-a new, fav read of mine, and definitely gonna reread when it releases!💗

“𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚,…”

𝟮𝟰/𝟴/𝟭𝟮 - 𝟮𝟰/𝟴/𝟭𝟲

𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:

𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 (𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭-𝘢𝘳𝘤) 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

i’m finally going to get through all my arcs (so many of them release soon ahhh). but i’m kinda hyped for this one, cause like… fake dating you say?🤭 the cover is so cute, and in general, this seems like such a fun read!