Such a good book!! I love the second chance romance and the banter! Such a fun and witty read, I finished it in less than 24 hours because I was so addicted!!

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an Arc!

I love, love, love Lynn Painter—so any book of hers is a must read!! I really felt like she tapped into Better Than The Movies to write Fake Skating. I love a good hockey taking dating plot. Dani & Alec are for sure in my top two favorite Painterverse couples. (Dare I say I like them more than WesLiz, very controversial… I know!) I cannot wait for everyone to read this. Dani is one of the best fmcs ever, and Alec is a perfect match!

[Thank you to Simon Teen & Netgalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.]

This book is perfection. Lynn Painter could teach a master class on how to write YA romances. This is one of her best books yet and I will absolutely be pre-ordering it.

We get a childhood friends to enemies to lovers story that features fake dating. AND THEN Painter sets the whole story in a small town, filled with spectacular secondary characters (except for two, who you’re supposed to hate), that’s obsessed with the high school hockey team (sports romance). Just chef’s kiss.

There's this sweetness to Dani and Alec. They were childhood best friends and each other's first kiss. They created a special code to talk to each other when they were apart. Even when they're mad at each other, they have this charming banter and unmistakable chemistry. You can’t help but root for them as they grow over the course of the story.

Because even though this is a young adult book, there’s so much depth. You see two kids who are struggling with the expectations put on them. It encompasses complex family dynamics (divorce), mental health rep (anxiety), and the tribulations of growing up.

This book gave me all the feels and now I’m wondering if it’s too soon to reread it?

I love Lynn Painter and I was really looking forward to this book.

Alec and Dani spent every summer together when they were kids untill Dani had to move away and they lost contact. Now she returns to Minnesota years later and Alec is not the boy she once knew. When circumstances lead to them being forced to play Boyfriend and Girlfriend for both of their benefit. Their real relationship is put to the test after the tumultuous end to their childhood friendship. How will these two old friends and childhood sweethearts make everything work out.

I had a really great time reading this. Dani and Alec have such a believable relationship with their families and each other. In just a few short months together again they both grow so much.

I cannot wait for everyone to be able to read another Lynn Painter banger.

What I loved:
-Fake dating trope
-Mental health rep
-Hockey romance
-Nerdy girl/jockey boy
-Side characters
-Grandpa Mick!!

There is a ton to love about this story, and it started off really strong; however there were some aspects that knocked it down a star…

-Lots of f-bombs. I love reading Lynn Painter with my HS students, but I cannot recommend this one to them given the frequency in which the f-word is used.
-Miscommunication trope aka my least favorite trope ever

3.5 ⭐️

I loveeeee Lynn Painter’s young adult romcoms. I like them more than her adult books if I’m being honest.

There were so many things I really enjoyed about this one - the small town, the fake dating friends to lovers, the hockey setting (very fun reading this right after the Stanley cup finals). I loved the friend group, especially Cassie. And really appreciated and connected to how Dani worked through her social anxieties.

There were also lots of things I didn’t like - it felt like miscommunication and lack of communication was the entire relationship dilemma. There was a good amount of outside forces also causing stress on the main characters but the only issues between the two were miscommunication from their past (which was resolved in about two sentences), and not communicating in regards to the third act break up. There was also soooooo much language. I know teens can handle it, but dial it back a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for this digital advanced copy. I enjoy Lynn Painters romcom books that pull on your heartstrings. Also. Hockey. Although tagged as a YA, it is hard to recommend to young adults because of the mature content implications & language, but the maturity level of the characters is on par with high school.

I'm not sure Lynn Painter has ever written anything I don't like, and this is no exception.

There was good character growth, though not as much as I think there has been in other of her books. The dialogue didn't snap as much either, but it was still such a fun read.

I love how the fake dating resolved in this plot a lot more than a lot of others I've read, simply because it didn't get weird because of miscommunication.

Also, before I forget, Dani's dad is a dick. I am not a fan of how that storyline resolved.

This was so cute and honestly really hard to stop reading. Once it hit its stride, I was hooked Dani and Alec’s dynamic gave me exactly the swoony, childhood sweethearts to fake dating to real feelings vibe I wanted.

But I’m knocking off a star because those first few chapters were rough. The pacing felt slow, and the characters were acting super immature for high schoolers. I get that it’s meant to be lighthearted and fun, but it threw me off at first.

Still, once the story got going I loved the cozy small town setting, the hockey energy, and the sweet romance.

Buddy read with my bb <a href=https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/176974963-kitkat>kitkat</a> go check out her review 💗




Pre read: I GOT THE ARC!! 🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️ thank you queen Lynn Painter

Lynn painter knows how to do YA and then add in hockey and second chance romance and clearly I was in. I easily read this book because hard not to love Alec and Dani. You watched their romance simmer and then loved the friend group dynamics and the relationship with her grandpa. Lynn painter is an autoread for me and she delivered with this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Second chance romance mixed with fake dating and hockey? Say less. Dani and Alec’s chemistry is everything—from fiery banter to those quiet, emotional moments that made me melt. The scenes with her grandpa had me tearing up. I eat up any YA book that Lynn Painter writes, and Fake Skating just might be my new favorite.

I don’t think I can get disappointed with Lynn Painter… as someone who skips spicy scenes and loooooves hockey romance, this was perfection. A clean hockey romance, what else do I need???

Dani moves in with her grandpa, at the place where she used to spend all her summers as a kid. Her ex best friend Alec still lives there and now they go to the same school. Fake dating, miscommunication, intrigue, hockey, best friends to “lovers”.

I rated this book 4 stars and you should absolutely read it!

There is nothing quite like a Lynn Painter book to pull a girl out of her reading slump. I love her YA and adult books, and Fake Skating is no different.

Fake Skating tells the story of Alec (Zeus) and Dani, childhood best friends who reunite in their senior year of high school when Dani moves to Alec's hometown. Dani is surprised to realize that her clumsy and awkward 7th grade bestie has grown into a local hockey star with NHL prospects and is revered at his school and across the town. Alec quickly realizes that his outgoing 7th grade bestie has turned into a gorgeous young woman with social anxiety issues. However, a "ghosting" incident in their past makes them reluctant to communicate with each other until they are forced to fake date when Alec needs to clean up his image with a "good girl" to boost his NHL prospects and Dani needs to add an extracurricular to her already stellar transcript to get accepted into Harvard.

The chemistry between Alec and Dani is amazing, the banter is witty, and their emotional growth is realistic and satisfying in the end. The setting adds a cozy background and the supporting characters add to the story without taking away from Alec and Dani. This book is emotional, adorable, and will stick with me for a while.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my review. I loved every second of this one!

This was such a fun and heartfelt read! I really enjoyed the main character—she was shy, smart, and refreshingly sassy. Her social anxiety was portrayed in such a real and relatable way that a few scenes genuinely made me emotional. The depiction of how overwhelming high school can feel—especially when it comes to friendships and fitting in—was so well done.

As a hockey romance fan, I loved that aspect of the story, and the chemistry between the leads had some really sweet moments.

One thing to note: the language felt a bit excessive for a YA title, particularly the repeated use of the F-word. While I understand it’s meant to reflect a certain voice or edge, it sometimes felt distracting and may not sit well with more sensitive or younger readers.

Also, the miscommunication trope was a bit frustrating at times, but it does add some tension and conflict that some readers might enjoy.

Overall, this is a charming and funny YA romance with a lot of heart. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

4.5 stars, rounded up!

I really enjoyed this one! As a big fan of the better than the movies series I was/ am very excited to see that Lynn Painter releasing a sports romance book. I was so intrigued and as a previous hockey player I was so excited to see Fake Skating as the title and premise! I was instantly hooked.

I'm also a sucker for second chance loves and the yearning paired with the banter was AMAZING. it was such a fun read. There were a few eh moments though such as the dad being a bit to much of a red flag and verge of abusive tendencies.

I also wanted just a tad bit more on the big climatic miscommunication part one page was to quick for the plot and resolution of that moment but ti was still enjoyable all around.

This was so fun as all Lynn Painter’s books are!!! Lynn Painter always delivers a fun romcom that makes me giggle but also has a good amount of depth! I love her YA and her adult books and was SO excited for a hockey romance by her (we know I love a hockey romance) I had so much fun reading her! I am so happy she did a hockey romance and I loved that it was childhood friends :’) I loved the found family/friendships and the romance was really sweet especially at the end!!

Thank you Simonteen for the arc!!!

First of all, a massive huge big thank you for the ARC! As a longtime Lynn Painter and Better Than the Movies fan, I had high hopes for this one, and it totally delivered. The vibes were immaculate.

Lynn has such a gift for writing layered, relatable characters, and this cast was no exception. I was super invested in Dani and Alec’s dynamic—the banter, the tension, the chemistry—it all felt believable and fun. The fake dating setup made sense for the story, and even though the plot wasn’t anything super new (I could see the ending coming from a mile away), it was still such an enjoyable ride from start to finish.

I especially loved how Dani’s anxiety and overthinking were portrayed. It felt real without being overdone. And honestly, I need more of Mick, the grandpa and her mom. And her mom’s friends. And pretty much everyone else in that town. That’s how you know it’s good - when you care about every single side character!

Was the blackmailed third act breakup annoying? Yes. Was the miscommunication frustrating? Absolutely. Did I eat it up anyway? You know I did. I do think the “big conflict” could have been resolved a lot earlier with a single honest conversation, but alas… YA drama must YA drama.

If you’re looking to fill the Better Than the Movies–shaped hole in your heart, this is it. And if you haven’t read Better Than the Movies yet… what are you doing? Go read that first, then come back for this one!

Absolutely loved this book. The second chance lovers. The angst. The banter. The yearning. Thank you Lynn Painter, Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers!

This should satisfy fans of Better than the Movies. It’s a YA hockey romance with everyone’s favorite tropes: fake dating and friends-to-lovers/childhood friends/second chance (they’re former best friends). There’s a small-town setting and Gilmore Girls vibes. There’s height difference (she’s tall, but he’s much taller). She's has social anxiety and panic attacks, and he’s a popular jock.

I like both of the main characters, Dani and Alec, and their POVs. Alec’s is a little repetitive on the expletives (I don’t have a problem with the cursing, but let’s get more unique with them), however, it does feel like a genuine portrayal of a teenage boy. Personally, I could do without all of the music references throughout. Alec is a cousin of the FMC, Liz, in Better than the Movies, and I think we could leave that to just Liz, you know? I’m not a music girlie, and the references seem obscure and don’t add much.

I like the family dynamics as well. Dani’s grandpa is so gruff and so adorable, and her dad is such. a. red. flag. Dani is too quick to forgive him, and so is the book. This guy to me screams “no contact.” He’s manipulative and abusive, and as a parent, I just can’t with him.

All together, it makes for the next YA romance obsession.

this was cutieeeee!!
as always, lynn painter wrote a sweet, fun YA romance that is definitely not lacking in tension & chemistry!
i honestly don’t have a ton to say about this one. i enjoyed myself the whole time. the couple was super cute and i love the second chance romance/childhood sweethearts vibes! for a YA, there was quite a bit of heavy make out scenes & to be honest some of the kissing scenes were written kind of weird? (like talking about “diving into her mouth over and over”)
the big “secret” or conflict that was the overarching theme of the book was that there was a miscommunication when they were younger & then the third act breakup was just unnecessary and predictable.
also, the language in here was too much. 256 F words?? be so for real. i think lynn is a great writer & i know she can come up with some better vocabulary than that (i work with middle school & high school students & NONE of them use even CLOSE to that kind of language)
i thought the chemistry was great and even got butterflies during some of the romantic scenes. i loved all the references to music and the song lyrics that were included!
while i have some complaints, i thought it was fun and recommend it if you can handle strong language. i loved betting on you much more!
🔥NO SPICE🔥 just make out scenes
🤐LANGUAGE🤐about 260 uses of the F word & frequent use of other swear words. some other curse language as well.