Lynn Painter has done it again! As an avid reader of the YA romance genre, Lynn Painter never fails to disappoint. This book featured a slew of classic tropes including childhood friends, fake dating, enemies to lovers, etc. Genuinely, I could not put this book down. Similar to Painter's other YA romances, "Fake Skating" included charismatic characters with witty and interesting dialogue that had me hooked. As for all characters, Alec and Dani had the context of their whole lives contributing to the character we see in the book, and we got to get a taste of this context without it spilling over into the whole story. The dual POV was a great aspect of this book, and made me love each character a lot more than if it was single POV. The classic miscommunication trope is present, but done rather tastefully. In addition, the third-act breakup was present. However, this trope was also done well. It wasn't too long or littered with more miscommunication, and it certainly did not give me a bad taste for the book at large. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was just the right amount of fun and interesting. Looking forward to Lynn Painter's next read!

Have you ever looked at a cover of a book and just know that you would eat up the story and devour every word that they wrote. This is how I feel every time I see Lynn Painter release a new YA romcom. This book is the perfect example of how well this author can write funny comedic lines delivered by characters that will grab you by the heart. Dani and Alec are not only charming and endearing, they felt so genuine as well.

This author has a way of captivating her audience from the start with a well constructed story that is filled with witty banter and heartfelt emotions that can be felt throughout the story. While this book is predictable, it does not take away from the enjoyment of the story because Alec and Dani have amazing chemistry. I loved this book from start to finish and cannot wait to re-read this book again.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC

Another good Lynn Painter book! You don’t want to miss out! It was quick and I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the book once it hit its stride. The banter between main character was great!

Lynn Painter takes on my personal favorite trope - childhood summer friends turned romantic love interests. Dani Collins has returned to her grandparent's home after 5 years away. Now she's not just there for a month in the summer, but instead it's January and she's finishing her senior year of high school in Minnesota. Her steady best summer friend was a boy and they had an unfortunate ghosting situation right when they needed each other the most - puberty, family trauma on both sides, allllll the things. What's more swoony than returning to find your clumsy best friend from summer has turned into a hockey hottie? But wait? Is he a jerk? Dani is different now - anxiety, daddy issues, and constant moving, has changed her. Maybe being here is more about finding her roots than just passing through on her way to Harvard.
These two are both swooners and I loved getting wrapped up in their attraction to each other. For my high school librarian peers - no sex, some kissing, and a fair amount of cussing. We work around teens and know how they talk, right? This became a distraction, to be honest. She does a nice job of making the parents and grandparents realistic-not caricature villians or heros - but people with problems who try to do better.
If you've read her other YA books you'll notice she tries to develop characters through their music choices (in this case Alec is heavily coded with music and Dani isn't at all).I like a lyrical reference here or there but I think this also got so heavy handed it became a distraction (there's like over 30 songs on the playlist i think).
If you were disappointed with the last few books I think this is worth a shot and a very good read.
Thanks for the ARC!

I’m going to be honest, YA romance is not a genre I gravitate towards. I haven’t read a book in this genre in years but I was in a slump and I needed something fun and easy to read to pull me out and Fake Skating did just that.

I liked the characters even though I wanted to yell at them some, they did stupid things and the miscommunication was strong but they were teenagers. The main star for me though was Mick, Dani’s grumpy grandpa. I loved him.

Overall, this was a fun read and I’m grateful it helped me get out of my slump.

Lynn Painter always delivers when it comes to fun and feel-good YA reads, and this one lived up to my expectations. Fake Skating was such a good time. I really enjoyed the estranged friends-to-lovers storyline. Dani and Alex had great chemistry, and I was rooting for them the whole time. Fake dating is always a fun trope, and watching their relationship slowly turn real was such a highlight. Hockey romance is always my favorite, and the writing was smooth, witty, and engaging. Overall, an enjoyable and well-written book.

ARC Review: Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.75 stars)

From the very first chapter, Fake Skating had me absolutely hooked. Lynn Painter once again delivers everything I adore in a romance—quick wit, palpable chemistry, and a story that tugs at your heartstrings while making you laugh out loud.

Dani and Alec have that classic Lynn Painter spark—banter, tension, and a dynamic that practically leaps off the page. Their second chance romance was the perfect blend of angst and sweetness, and I couldn’t get enough. Watching them navigate their past while pretending to be something they’re not (but so clearly are) was swoony perfection.

One of the standout aspects of this book for me was the way it handled family dynamics. Coming from a divorced family myself, I found the depiction incredibly relatable and thoughtfully done. It added emotional depth without overpowering the romance, and I really appreciated how authentically it was portrayed.

Overall, Fake Skating made me giggle, swoon, and never want to stop reading. Whether it’s YA or adult contemporary, Lynn Painter continues to prove she’s an auto-read author. This book was a joy from start to finish.

there was never a doubt in my mind that this was gonna be five stars! A fake dating hockey romance written by my queen Lynn Painter? Fantastic give me 14 of them right now. 🫡 All of this was perfect and friends to lovers is the perfect kind of love story but throw in all those other juicy things that I love and it’s a winner. Alec and Danni had the best relationship and brought out the best in each other.

And as always Lynn throws in great song moments/lyrics that create the best playlist 🎵

Would first like to preface that I have never met a YA Lynn Painter novel that I haven’t love… & that did not change today!

This cute and wholesome romance of childhood best friends and first loves to fake dating and real feelings. It was really easy to get hooked once it started and I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the subplot of Dani finally finding a place to call home and the setting with all the Minnesota hockey lore/culture.

It was lighthearted and fun! A perfect addition to the ‘in between’ collection <3 (iykyk)

THANK YOU THANK YOU to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, & to my fav Lynn Painter for this advanced copy!

I feel like the luckiest girl ever to have gotten to read a Lynn Painter book early. This author will forever be a favorite of mine. There has not been one book from her that I havent loved. I read this book in one sitting thats how good this is. I found myself relating to Dani so much it was kind of scary. Dani dealt with social anxiety as well as excessive overthinking which is extremely relatable and I am so happy with how Lynn Painter portrayed these things with Dani. Lynn Painter discussed these topics in a respectful and knowledgeable way that didnt make it seem like it was jsut thrown in there to add to the character development. Alec was such a fun male main character to read about. Alec was funny and charming and such a likeable character in every aspect of this book. This book was such a fun read for people of all ages to enjoy. I really think this is Lynn Painter's next big hit. Lynn Painter truly is such an enjoyable author to support.

This was a cozy, feel-good read. It's YA romance (1/5 for spice), packed with fake dating, childhood history, a hockey-obsessed small town, and all the nostalgic winter vibes. Dani and Alec were childhood best friends before she moved away, and now that she’s back in Minnesota, their reunion is anything but simple. Alec has become a local hockey star, and Dani is still figuring out who she is after her parents’ divorce and a big move across the country.

I loved how Dani felt instantly relatable and real. Her anxiety, overthinking, and the awkwardness of coming back to a place that used to feel like home were all written with depth. Alec, once her favorite person, is now a confident (but secretly soft) hockey star who doesn’t quite know how to let people in. Their chemistry built slowly and believably. Their fake relationship setup brought the right mix of tension and sweetness, and watching them slowly reconnect had me smiling the whole way through.

This story is perfect for readers who enjoyed Better Than the Movies, Betting on You, or stories that feel like a warm mug on a snowy day.

Lynn Painter’s YA romcoms are always top tier, the best. And not only did this book have her signature humor, relatable characters, and classic romcom vibes, but it was a hockey romance?? Between childhood best friends?? With fake dating?? And the MMC wears glasses???? Literally all my favorite tropes in one book. I DEVOURED this story, and the romance between Alec and Dani was *chef’s kiss*. I also appreciated the anxiety rep. As you can tell, I really, really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to get my physical copy of it when it releases!

Content Notes: Frequent use of strong language (more than I think is necessary in YA). No spice (except for some steamy kisses). Trigger warning for anxiety, brief descriptions of injuries, divorced parents.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I am not Lynn Painter’s ideal audience. That would be my significant other, and my students who I’ve managed to get into them. But I did really like this and found myself really rooting for the characters nonetheless!

The tropes that Painter deploys in this one are Classic, but the characters are so good that it elevates them!

There are so many things to touch on when it comes to this book that I’m just gonna have to list it out for y’all.

1. Dani’s character - the first thing I have to say about Dani is that she is completely accurate to that of a military brat. I grew up with a father who was in the Air Force, I grew up moving around constantly, and I can 100% confidently say that I felt understood through this character. No matter how long I lived in one place and no matter how many friends I made it’s was very hard to feel like I had a home because I feel like I am from nowhere… And that was so well delivered in this book and through this character. This was honestly the biggest thing in this book for me because it made me feel so seen and I just wanted to say thank you to Lynn for such a great representation.

2. The Vibes - there is just something about a Lynn Painter book that no other YA romance will ever come close to. She is untouchable when it comes to this genre, she just has the perfect formula down. There is something so raw and real, and just purely teenage about the way that she writes these characters. I truly felt like I was back in my senior year, reading this book and it made me so nostalgic in the best way.

3. THE TENSION- oh how she pushed the limits with this one, the tension was unmatched. I thought that Bailey and Charlie had crazy tension, doesn’t even come close to Dani and Alec. I was kicking my feet, I was screaming, I was giggling… I genuinely could not contain my excitement when they finally kissed. Also, those were some incredibly well written kisses, I felt like I was experiencing myself.

I genuinely think that I could go on forever about this book, I could probably write an essay about it honestly. But I’m going to keep my review short and sweet and I’m gaping to wrap it up by saying that this was one of my favorite reads so far this year and I cannot wait until everybody else has the chance to read it. As soon as this book comes out, everybody needs to go and buy it because it is so worth all the hype that it’s going to get.

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What I loved:
🏒 Mick
🏒 childhood sweethearts
🏒 YA hockey romance


This was really cute and definitely one of my favorites I've read from Painter yet (though I haven't read many). This was full of tropes I adore and lovable characters.

Let me start with the town because it was so cute. Painter built this lovely, small town, homey setting. The book takes place in the dead of winter, yet it felt warm and full of life. I couldn't get enough of the setting and the characters.

The MCs were sweet. I loved their history. I definitely wanted more flashbacks but the ones that were there added so much to the story. I appreciated that they were practically strangers and had to get to know each other again. Alec brought Dani out of her shell and they had great banter. Dani was quick-witted when she was comfortable and even startled a laugh out of me a time or two. Plus, the tension from their past made the romance that much sweeter.

The supporting cast, at times, outshone the MCs. Mick fucking Boche! He was such a treat and by far my favorite character. He was a lovable grump and a great grandpa. Alec's friends and Cassie were so sweet with Dani. They were goofy and made me laugh quite a bit. Dani's mom was nice but I wanted more of her. She fell victim to a running trend I've noticed with the parents Painter's novels in that she wasn't really there. I can count on one hand the interactions Dani had with her mom.

I loved so much about this but there were numerous things I wasn't happy with. Firstly, it took way too long for the MCs to reconcile the letter issue. Waiting for them to finally discuss it took away from the romance for me. The second, and by far my biggest issue, was why Dani didn't go to the hospital/why she went to the special place with Benji/that she never apologized to Alec or cleared the air about it. Why build up this tension with her not going to the hospital if its not going to resolve? And Benji implied more happened when they were together so what happened? Why was this aspect never addressed or resolved? It truly bothers me and I hope its fixed before the book publishes.

The last main thing that bothered me were the missed opportunities to take this novel to a deeper level. Dani had been bullied at a prior school and it was used to explain why she was the way she was. Which, sure. But why not use that to delve deeper into her character. Have her talk about and confront it with Alec? Alec also had the world on his shoulders and felt he was the financial solution for his family and there really wasn't a resolution there. No meaningful conversation with him and his parents telling him money is for them to worry about and he should focus on being a kid. The opportunities were there to address some bigger issues and have this be more meaningful. Yet none were taken.

Other minor things that bothered me: Dani's avoidance to her problems. (I understand she's a teen so while this did bother me it didn't cause me to rate it lower.) Not many flashbacks. Dani's mom being awol and oblivious to all of her daughters problems. I also wanted Dani's moms reasons for staying with the colonel and her POV from when she got pregnant. Dani talked to her grandfather and got his story. I want her mom's story, too!

Don't let my issues turn you away. In the grand scheme, these were all *relatively* minor. The rest of the book and romance were great!

If you love Lynn Painter's YA romances, you'll love this. This was a really cute, light read. It dove way more into hockey than I thought it would, yet it was so fun. This was an adorable book and a great palette cleanser. I definitely recommend for anyone who loves Painter and/or YA romances.

4.5 stars for me, rounded up to a 5 - I might be rating almost entirely off vibes, but I loved it. Lynn Painter books bring me so much nostalgic joy, usually because they feel like the early 2000s romcoms that I watched incessantly. But in this case, I connected even more so because it reminded me of my own childhood. I was once a HUGE hockey fan so this just brought back so many memories of going to games with my friends and the sport just being a big part of my life, just like for these characters.

I can already tell, the common complaints are going to be miscommunication and third act breakup. I know people are really turned off by miscommunication, and usually I am too, but in this case it didn’t bother me because it felt believable. Of course it’s going to be frustrating, but this is YA and they’re kids…they still learning communication skills. And the third act breakup was barely even one, so I gave it a pass. Besides, I thought it set the stage for a really cute makeup, so I just had no reason to be mad about it!

A couple things I really loved about the book were the anxiety representation and the complicated family dynamics. I have had anxiety my entire life, but didn’t know it until I was well into adulthood so I always appreciate anxiety representation in YA stories. First, so young readers can recognize the signs in themselves, and second, to feel understood. As for complicated family situations, I really loved how the book showed how love can be expressed differently, and in many cases, poorly - even by the adults in their lives.

On a lighter note, I loved the included playlist (the song choices were A+!), grandpa Mick’s adorable grumpiness, and the banter/humor had me laughing out loud often. This was such a fun read for me, I actually enjoyed it more than Better Than the Movies - yes, I said it.

Needless to say, I loved this book so much. I’m definitely buying a finished copy - hopefully B&N will have another exclusive so can match my collection!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster, Lynn Painter, and NetGalley for the early copy!

Lynn Painter writes YA in a way that this 32 year old loves and will probably always love. She has a way with her YA specifically that always feels like a romcom and I love it so much.
Dani and Alec were the childhood friends to fake dating to lovers + nerd girl, jock boy couple of my dreams. I loved the nods to their childhood summers together and I loved who Alec grew to be. Dani was a harder sell to me, I didn’t love how timid and shy she became, but there were definitely reasons that explained why she was like that, mainly her having to move so much due to her dad’s military career and bullying/shitty friends she encountered along the way. Speaking of Dani’s dad, I really hated him and I wasn’t a fan of how Dani handled his overall shittiness, but I understand that it could be true to life for a teenager to crave validation from a dad who’s like that.
There were a lot of cliches in this, mainly Benji making Dani break up with Alec to avoid him pressing charges and the reveal that it was Dani’s dad who threw away Alec’s letters back in the day, but they were the kind of cliches you get in a teen romcom and they provided the perfect amount of angst and drama, so I actually didn’t mind them too much.
The ending was satisfying and I love that Dani ends up going to Harvard and Alec gets to live his dream nearby.

I was SO excited to get this ARC, Lynn Painter is one of my all time favorite romance writers, her banter always hits…until this one 😭 I just couldn’t get into it. The characters seemed so immature, their negativity towards each other, and the miscommunication was frustrating. I DNF, but I might pick it up again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

I really wanted to like this one but I just could not get into it. I usually love Lynn Painter's YA stuff but this felt way more immature and annoying than usual and I ended up DNF-ing. Maybe I'll try again later.

The absolute excitement I felt when I saw the ARC approval for a Lynn Painter book!!!! First off, this cover is so cute. I love the art style of her YA covers with their wimzy and adorable cartoons. I've read most, if not all, of Painter's YA novels and I've quickly learned that they're a hit or miss for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them all, but sometimes the spark is just not there. Fake Skating has all the elements of a five star read for me - fake dating, friends to lovers, pseudo-rivals to lovers, strong female friendships, hockey romance, fun winter vibes - but the execution just fell a bit flat, mostly due to miscommunication and frustrating character choices.

Fake Skating is written in alternate POV chapters, which keeps the pace quick and addictive once the storyline really starts to pick up. Unfortunately, the first 20% drags. It took me a few tries to get through the beginning of this book because I was so annoyed by Alec and Dani's negativity towards one another. The first few chapters builds up this tension as to why they don't want to see each other again after like five years and how upset they are with the other - because of ~miscommunication~ of course. The animosity just felt very forced, and I found Alec so unlikeable when we first meet him.

Once Dani and Alec finally reunite, we start to see glimpses of how they had interacted back when they were kids, having spent almost every summer together. And then once the fake dating starts, the real feelings obviously quickly follow for them Their relationship was sweet and the buildup felt earned and satisfying.

I loved the anxiety representation we see with Dani and the support that her grandpa Mick offers in practicing coping skills through her panic attacks. The relationship between Mick and Dani is heartwarming and quite hilarious at points. Alternatively, her father felt incredibly one-dimensional, almost like a cartoon villain. We are given a glimpse near the end of the book as to why he's so manipulative and selfish, but it wasn't satisfying and felt unresolved.

Painter truly captures the teenage desire to find a place to belong somewhere and the joy and relief that comes with finding a group of friends who truly care about you. It was nice to see Dani finally find her niche at Southview and feel at "home."

My biggest con was the third-act breakup that was so contrived and unnecessary. I get why we had it but there was definitely too much miscommunication around it when there was truly no reason at all for them to withhold information from each other.

All in all, this was a fun book. Lynn Painter's novels are always a great time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.