Thanks to Netgalley & Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the E-ARC! Cute story! Really liked the characters & setting. The banter was really good too. Will read more from this author.

rating: 4.75 stars

I typically love anything Lynn Painter writes, and this book was no exception. The tension and build up between the MMC and the FMC were soooo good. I love a teasing and playful relationship, and they had just that. From being childhood friends, to nothing, and then to rekindle their relationship by fake dating, which is one of my favorite tropes btw, was such a whirlwind of emotions to grasp. I loved seeing them "fake" their feelings until it developed into something more.

Seeing Alec and Dani come together and fall in love was super enjoyable to read and I was obsessed. I also really enjoyed their friend group, and it made their relationship that much more enjoyable because everyone would joke around and mess with each other, sort of like family, which was adorable.

I will say that towards the end, the fact that miscommunication got the best of them, and it didn't even really resolve, was a little frustrating. It was sort of brushed over and then everything was somehow fine... So, I do wish that was solved a little sooner.

One of my favorite things Lynn Painter does is include songs and lyrics into her books. I love associating a song with a specific character or scene in a book. I love how she incorporates that.

Overall, I loved this one and would definitely recommend!

Read if you like:
- Sports romance (hockey)
- Fake dating
- Found family
- Childhood friends to lovers

Thank you so much Simon Teen for the ARC. <3

*4.5

This was so cute. These two little idiots refused to admit that they loved each other all these years later so they resorted to fake dating. They're adorable. It was so cute how she made him horrible sandwiches that he ate every day with a smile on his face. However it's not five stars because I feel like the story wasn't complete. There should have been like one more chapter at the end where they actually talk about the postcard stuff and whatever that night that she was supposed to see Alec. It's a big plotline that we just didn't get the answer to.

Also there is a HP reference and we should never have those because she is a nasty woman.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Oh this was so fun! This,not spicy, YA romance could have gone off the rails any number of times, but it was a delightful read. I rooted for the main characters so hard and appreciated that the pacing kept me engaged. This was a quick read. Miscommunication and fake dating tropes were utilized well! Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for letting me read this ARC!! I ended up taking my sweet time on this one: mostly because I was finishing up schoolwork before I graduated college (summer graduation ceremonies are where it's at). Anyway, I thought this was cute! I'll be honest, this is the second Lynn Painter book I've read. This first book of hers I read was about a year ago, and it was called "Mr Wrong Number." Long story short: I was not a fan. At the time, I was still open to reading her other stuff, but I guess I was a bit scared that the other books weren't going to be good. And I'm so glad I got to read this ARC and the opportunity to read her books again, because this one was so great. Most of the high school romances I read are a solid three star (which is still a good review for me) but something about this one was a solid 4. Just great all around. The characters were so much fun, the setting was fun, and the plot, though predictable, was also fun. I grew up in a suburb 15 minutes outside of Minneapolis, (with extended family living up further north) so this story hit close to home. This felt like a lil cozy read in the midst of my obscenely hot Florida summer. Have I read any summer themed books this summer? Nope. Not even one. I've been focused on school and reading my NetGalley arcs, that time has flown by! I guess there is always next summer. In summary, if you like the childhood-friends-to-estranged teenagers-to-lovers-trope, you'll love this. If you like cutie high school romances, you'll love this. If you like charming YA hockey romances, you'll love this.

Fake Skating ⛸️🏒❄️🩵
5 🌟
1 🫑

Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the chance to read and enjoy this advanced copy!

Lynn Painter, you did it again, you literary genius! Even as someone who is not a sports romance fan, I absolutely devoured this book, I couldn’t put it down even when I tried. The chemistry between the characters, the history, and the plot was absolutely perfect, and I loved every single page of it. I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this book!

I really liked how Alec and Dani both brought their own age-appropriate struggles to the table: trying to go pro as a hockey player and trying to get into Harvard is so real for that age group. I also really loved the addition of family dynamics, self-worth, friendship, and found family.

I’ve been a YA fan since ‘01- it’s always truly been my favorite genre. I really love that this is a closed-door alternative to the sports romance books that are popular right now, because I know that can be a huge appeal for younger readers. When I was a bookseller, customers and their parents always asked me if there was a good YA “Icebreaker” alternative, and I can definitely say that there is now!

*While this book is for teens, I do think that it’s better suited for older teens as the main characters are 17 and 18. There is no spicy content aside from kissing, but there is frequent language and some heavier themes.*

I wish I could forget this book just so I could reread it again. I loved all of the characters, the story, the playlist, everything. It was such an easy read and I smiled the entire time.

This was a really sweet YA! Very easy read, very sweet vibe! Sort of easy to skim, which could be seen as a good or bad thing. Like I wasn’t gripped by the story but to have an easy story was certainly enjoyable!

I loved this book! It was so cute ugh.

This story follows two childhood best friends who lose touch after a misunderstanding and reunite years later when Dani and her mom move in with her grandpa. Things start off a bit rocky between them, but once Alec ropes Dani into a fake dating situation, old emotions resurface and it becomes real.
This is my first book I’ve read by Lynn Painter, but I’ll definitely be reading more of her books in the future

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This book is released on 9/30/25!

4-4.5⭐️ Inseparable as kids, Dani Collins and Alec Barczewski were the very best of friends until Dani had to move away because of her father’s job. When Dani and her mom move back to Minnesota years later, she is shocked to see how much Alec has grown up and how distant and cold he is to her now. But when an inconvenient situation leads to a fake dating arrangement, their complicated relationship will get a whole lot more confusing.

Oh my goodness— it is next to impossible not to fall in love with the characters in a Lynn Painter YA book. They are always the book friends of my young adult dreams, and I am so happy that those currently in this age range get to experience the high school and friend/romance experience through their eyes. I know this group of characters sure would have brought me a lot of comfort when I was in middle and high school.

Alec, affectionately nicknamed Zeus, is the high school version of every hockey romance hero, and I absolutely adored him. But his friend and romantic counterpart, Dani, is my favorite part of this story (well, along with her grumpy, former hockey-playing grandpa, Mick).

While I do always feel a kinship with a heroine in glasses, Dani did a lot of the emotional heavy lifting in this story, and I naturally felt myself drawn to her, the challenges she was facing, and the cross-current between parents she kept getting swept up in. Her social and situational anxiety will be something a lot of young adults will connect with, as well as her determination and stress over college applications and what comes next.

Of course, as childhood friends turned enemies turned romantic (fake or otherwise), these two together absolutely lit up the page. While the story seemed a little slower burn at moments, every time they shared a scene together, I was completely enamored and unable to turn the pages fast enough. I felt a bit greedy, especially once the tension was built up enough, and suppressed feelings came to the surface…another element LP writes so well. These books are not steamy, and yet nothing feels missing or less than. These two were literal fire from the midway point on.

I had read some initial feedback that there is quite a bit of profanity in this book. Would I have noticed it if I had read the book before the feedback— unclear. And while it does feel like a good amount, and more than the author usually includes in her books, I felt like it fit the character of Alec, who felt more mature than other MCs she’s written before. And I have to say, as a hockey mom myself, the words that come out of these kids’ mouths are less than stellar.

I am a huge fan of her books on audio, so as soon as the Fake Skating audiobook is live, I will most likely do a reread. I have a feeling it will work even better on audio.

Read if you like:
▪️hockey romance
▪️childhood friends to enemies
▪️library love
▪️fake dating
▪️anxiety rep
▪️found family
▪️dual POV
▪️Minnesota setting

Thank you Simon Teen for the advanced copies.

Fake skating ARC !💙
5/5 🌟
0.5/5 🌶️
YA
• I truly loved this book ! Trust me you guys aren't ready for this masterpiece because come on Alec and Dani are the best 🤭 What I really really really liked about this book is that Lynn described teenage life absolutely perfect. You don't have to have amazing, perfect, no problem life, no you can suffer a lot but that doesn't mean that you don't have a life ! You can find another family and with the other family I don't mean like dad,mom,grandma, grandpa.... No, I mean Friends,love,even couches 🥹l this is what I love about this book : if you suffer a lot with dad,fake-friends then please remember this : there is always a chance to change it ! And please don't forget this ! 💖 And I absolutely @lynnpainterbooks love this that you described that, you don't have to have perfect life to make one !🥹 Maybe I see this point with just my eyes, but maybe the next readers will see the point I was describing.💞 And now back to the other point of this book!

• Dani is a blond, wavey/curly hairz sweet girl who was an absolute extrovert... Her dad has a job ( I don't wanna say what job so I don't spoil you all ) and he always gets some offers to move to another country so he'll get paid better and have a better position and these kinds of things....Well Dani and her mom suffer a lot while they're moving especially Dani because of school!😭 Her childhood best friend Alec 💘 and her agreed to send each other letters 💌 where they write what happened in the town,school,... But one day the letters 💌 stopped coming from both of them, neither of them know why or what happened well at the time both of them suffered a lot and they didn't know about it.🥹
• Alec is a jackass 😂🤭and I need to add a really hot one.😅Who is the best hockey player at the school,town,....He suffered a lot when his dad got into an accident. And before that he was a clumsy little guy who was obsessed with his mom's best friend's daughter 😂 Dank. While on the other hand Dani was a naughty little girl who loved to read and still does. When he and Dani lost contact Alec became a whole new person hot,smart,good at hockey 🏒
Well I can't tell you more!😂
I❤️->📚

Fake Dating by Lynn Painter was such a fun, swoony, and bingeable read. Painter really knows how to deliver that perfect mix of banter, chemistry, and heartfelt moments that keep you flipping pages way past bedtime.

The fake-dating trope is one of my favorites, and she executed it so well here. The dynamic between the characters felt natural, and their playful banter had me grinning constantly. I especially loved how Painter balanced the humor with deeper emotional beats—it wasn’t just fluff; there were moments that actually hit you in the feels.

I love Lynn Painter. I love the depth of emotion she gives to her characters because it acknowledges that teens are able to feel that deeply. It’s lovely and sad and funny and sweet and very very moving. I spend a lot of time wishing my life had been a little more like her characters’ lives. It makes me sad, but also warms the cockles of my heart. 💜 💜💜📚

Lynn Painter's YA romance books have been my yearly guilty pleasure the past few years, so I thought it would be fun to give this one a try. I believe I've officially aged out of the demographic this book is meant for, however. That is to say, I think there are a lot of people who would love this book!

It was a quick and easy read, so if you are looking for something along those lines, this could be worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Lynn Painter is back with your next heartfelt bingeable young adult romance book. This is fake dating, second chance romance between Dani and Alec. Years ago they were best friends and attached at the hip whenever Dani would visit her grandpa for the summer. Now we are in the present and Dani is moving to Alec’s hometown. Both of them think the other ghosted them. When they are thrown together by chance they must reconnect to convince everyone they are dating. The only thing is they both are completely different from the person they once were. Dani is now introverted and keeps to herself. While Alec is the hotshot hockey player that everyone loves.

Fake Skating is a lighthearted, fast-paced, must read! You deserve to know Dani, Alec, and everyone from Southview. Please don’t miss this amazing YA read. Painter outdid herself with this one!!!

No one writes YA like Lynn Painter! This gives the best Wes and Liz vibes but it’s Dani and Alec. It’s friends to lovers, second chance, some miscommunication, and found family. And it’s amazing.

Both Alec and Dani have compelling stories and have you heartbroken and rooting for them all at the same time. They are both easy to love and yell at the same time, but having been a teen I think most people will completely understand where the miscommunication comes from.

High school is hard. And Dani has moved multiple times as part of a military family. Alec has been her one constant, until he wasn’t. And now she’s moved back to his hometown.

I honestly wish there’d been a little more information in this one at the end! I need slightly more resolution - not to Dani and Alec’s story but to a few side
plots. But I’ll enjoy speculating with other readers - so feel free to DM your thoughts!

#fakeskating #YArecommendation #bookrecommendation #lynnpainter

So cute. Like if To All the Boys I Loved Before had more hockey in it. 😂

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 Stars

Lynn Painter does not disappoint when it comes to a fun YA romance. The pages turn easily in this one, and the plot is solid. I read this in the warmest part of summer, but this will be a perfect cozy winter romance.

One of my favorite parts of the book is that the main characters are childhood best friends. There was something very sweet about their shared history and childhood adventures. Years later, they end up fake-dating that never felt fake.

The fake dating trope is getting a little bit formulaic and stale for me, and the swearing in this book seemed over the top and forced. Overall, a fun read, but not my favorite Lynn Painter book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 20%

Thank you so much to Simon Teen and Lynn Painter for an e-ARC of this book. I promise you guys that no one is sadder about this than me. (I will not post a scathing review on my social media, I will just mark that it was a DNF for me on goodreads.)

I really tried to enjoy this book, but I unfortunately, could not get into it. It is really telling that I was nearly a quarter of the way through the book, and I still had no idea where this plot was going. My biggest qualm with this book is that it does not feel like YA to me. I might be aging myself when I say this, but there are way too many cuss words in this for me to think that high schoolers are in this book. Even with the scene of some girl returning the scarf to the main character, Alec or "Zeus", was a bit much, and if I wasn't told that this was in high school, I would have thought they were in college.

I love a hockey romance more than A N Y O N E but calling this man Zeus because he's a great at hockey and everyone in town loves him for it gave me the ick. It was also interesting how I was 20% in and at this point, our characters have only interacted with each other as the FMC, Dani, ran into Alec and that was that. I had extremely high hopes for this book and I just feel like even if I kept reading, I would not find myself eventually enjoying it.

Sorry :(