This was a sweet YA read. It kept me engaged and entertained.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

There was a shocking (to me) amount of "Praise Jesus"es and mentions of God (ish), which, idk if all of her books are this way and I hadn't noticed it before? I don't remember anyone praying in Better Than the Movies, but I could be misremembering! It's whatever, though, I love Lynn Painter, no matter what!

*Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

The way I absolutely couldn't put this book down - I don't know what Lynn Painter put in this book, but I want more. It was a perfect mix of hockey, young love, and humor. The banter between Alec and Dani was top notch. I also liked the family drama behind the scenes, as it helped me better understand Alec and Dani as characters. Grandpa Mick is the absolute *best* and I will not be accepting criticism at this time.

I absolutely need to dive into Alec's playlist because the music was so frequently mentioned in the book. And maybe there'll be a follow-up story with these characters?? Because I could see Cassie getting her own book...

Thank you NetGalley & publishers for my ARC!
Probably 3.5 stars rounded up??
I was instantly turned off by the amount of course language throughout this book. And it's considered a YA? Yikes. I would hate if my 16 year old daughter read this and saw so many f and s words. It was a lot.
Overall, the story was cute. I love a good second-chance romance & for some reason hockey books are fun. It wasn't anything new that I haven't read before, but I will read anything that Lynn Painter puts out. I love her character development and the easiness of the plots. They're fun, quick to read and happily ever afters.
I felt like some things didn’t get resolved at all. Like what really happened with Benji and Dani? Did they hookup in the shack? Why couldn't she go to the hospital that day? And suddenly her dad has been hiding the letters? And Zeus has been writing this entire time? I would have loved more information and resolution for these. Additionally, a lot of it felt very high school which is understandable since it is YA, but I could have gone without the miscommunication trope.
Overall, still a really cute read! Lynn Painter is always a good idea.

This book is Lynn Painter at her finest. All Lynn Painter YA is good YA, but there was something special about this one. It had an enormous amount of tenderness and I think that's where the LP magic is. Grandpa Mick is hereby one of my favorite LP characters in existence. I just adored him. I also really loved the small town vibes. You know me and a small town.. gimme gimme gimme. This is YA second chance done really well. You don't see that often.

The only semi-complaint I have is that when she's developing the voice of a teenage boy, there is always an overabundance of cursing. I get it. We want it to feel authentic. But also... SOME teenage boys don't have to curse that much, right? There isn't as much as Charlie in Betting on You, but still a lot. It's just something to watch for if you're going to shelve this in your classroom library. Use your judgement. You know your students.

Dani & Alec were the best of friends growing up. As the daughter of a military man, the only place Dani ever felt at home was with Alec... until the fallout of a kiss the night before she moved ruined everything. After her parents divorce, Dani & her mom move back to Alec's hometown. She is shocked to discover that her dorky childhood best friend is now the hockey star of their school... and he can't stand being around her. But when Dani & Alec are forced to fake date, every moment begins to feel more real than anything they've ever experienced.

✨childhood friends to strangers to lovers
✨hockey
✨fake dating
✨second chance
✨coming of age
✨low spice

I swear, I would read Lynn Painter’s grocery list & feel things I’ve never felt before. If you read & loved Better than the Movies, you will LOVE Fake Skating. There was a lot of family drama, hurt, growing, HOCKEY, and so much yearning. She really writes fake dating stories that steals my breath. Dani & Alec had such a sweet (and mega twisty) story. They were both going through so much change and emotional growth and seeing them lean on each other warmed my heart. Additionally, the friendships in Lynn Painter books always tug my heartstrings. Cassie was a girl’s girl & loved Dani just the way she needed. I highly recommend this book for any person needing some sweetness & something that feels like drinking your favorite hot drink.

HUGE thanks to Simon & Schuster publishing, NetGalley, and Lynn Painter for an ARC 🫶🏼

I finally found the book that yanked me out of my miserable reading slump—and I devoured it in under 24 hours. Lynn Painter, you absolute YA romcom wizard, you’ve outdone yourself! 😭

Lynn Painter has always nailed the romcom vibe, but this YA romance? It hit different. It’s everything I love in the genre: childhood best friends turned strangers, fake dating, unresolved feelings, and slow-burn chemistry that hurts in the best way. Dani and Alec are so real, so messy, so easy to root for. And Grandpa Mike? Total scene-stealing icon. I laughed, teared up, and couldn’t physically put it down.

This book reminded me why I love YA so much. It’s not just about romance—it’s about finding your voice again.

Five shining, swoony stars. Easily my favorite YA romance of the year.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy through NetGalley—opinions are my own!

This is great romance of childhood friends to lovers. You know the tension has built between Dani and Alec, but that can often lead to love. Remember the connections and favorite things about a person. The hockey community was a great addition to the romantic story.

This is such a fun, light read. I was indecisive about what to start reading and this caught my eye as well as my attention. The characters are so lovable and I need a sequel!

This is an adorable YA romance. Alec and Dani were childhood friends who lost contact. After years Dani is moving to Alec’s school. Their story is adorable. The found family is wonderful. Really cute, easy and fast read.

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC!!!

I’ve realized lately that the fake dating trope can be difficult to be written well - it is often times a very cookie cutter recipe that can get repetitive and overdone. But if it’s done well, then it can really be a hit! And I think this book did it amazingly! In my past experiences with fake dating, I would often get annoyed by the insecurities/anxiousness between the two main characters, but this couple didn’t feel that way to me.

Sure some parts were a bit cheesy, but it overall made the book just more heartwarming and romantic. My only qualm is that the reveal of why they broke contact over the years was very quick and we didn’t really get to see them dissect it and talk it out.

What a cute romcom! I know my older middle school readers will love this romantic childhood sweethearts to lovers story. There is language and respectful but intense kissing, but the relationship is sweet, the parents are all good people, and there are consequences for actions that may not have been the best choices. All in all a great way to spend a rainy weekend.

⭐️⭐️.5

I have read a few YA Lynn Painter books and have enjoyed them. Fake dating and small town are two of my favorite tropes, so I was expecting to love this. Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a miss for me. I very much enjoyed Dani and related a lot to her and felt my high school self being represented. However, it took me a bit to get into the story itself. I did not enjoy the years-long misunderstanding/miscommunication that took the entire book for such a simple resolution. I also found there to be an excessive amount of swearing, which surprised me as this is YA. The high school and hockey rink settings and all the side characters (especially grandpa Mick!) were great.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lynn Painter does it again!! Love love loved these two characters, the setting, the story, the chemistry, the journey, almost every single thing in this book was amazing! I strongly disliked the amount of f bombs and other language that was in this YA book. I don’t mind a sprinkling of it here and there in the right context but it felt like there was multiple f words on every page. It was way too much. Other than that, I loved it all and I already can’t wait for Lynn’s next book!

Absolutely adorable. Lynn Painter nails it again with a charming, swoon-worthy YA rom-com that had me smiling from start to finish. What really stood out to me was Dani’s character development. Watching her rediscover the version of herself that existed before the constant moves and junior high insecurities was both heartwarming and empowering. She didn’t become someone new—she found her way back to the girl she always was, and that journey felt so real.

While I loved the ending, I do wish her mom had gotten a little more redemption—maybe a love interest or a deeper moment of reflection. But hey, maybe that’s being saved for a second book??

Overall, this one’s cute, funny, and full of heart. If you love fake dating tropes, clever banter, and relatable main characters, Fake Skating is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Tropes: childhood friends to lover, second chance-ish, fake dating, coming of age

This is my first YA book from Lynn Painter and it was so cute! I don't typically read YA so it took me a minute to readjust my brain to younger characters, but all the essential elements of Lynn Painter were still there, so I was so satisfied with the story! The teen angst of overwhelming feelings and the high school setting was so nostalgic for me to read. And the banter and the chemistry between the characters was still top tier. Dani's character development and coming into her own with her anxiety was heartwarming to watch. I'll definitely be reading her other YA titles along with all her new releases. Great book.

This book was such a refreshing mix of second chance romance and hockey romcom. At first, I wasn’t sure how those two would blend, but it totally worked. The story had just the right balance of humor, tension, and heart, which made it really enjoyable to read.
I loved the fake dating aspect — it gave the characters so much fun chemistry and plenty of moments that made me smile. Usually, I don’t enjoy miscommunications in romances because they can feel frustrating or drag the story, but here, they felt real and didn’t get in the way. Instead, they added to the playful energy between the leads.

The hockey setting gave the story a great backdrop, making it feel fresh and lively. It wasn’t just about the sport, but how it shaped the characters and their relationships. Overall, this was exactly the kind of light, feel-good read I was looking for, and I’m glad I picked it up.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this arc!

Okay I was so excited to the arc for this book! I have only read a few Lynn Painter books, but she was one of my students favorite authors last year, so I knew I wanted to read this one. I was not disappointed.

Did I read this in less than 24 hours? Yes. Did I love the tropes? Basically yes (childhood bffs, hockey/sports romance, fake dating, and others). Would I recommend this? Absolutely! Will I be purchasing for my classroom? Yes!

This was such a cute and fun YA romance, and my favorite novel of Painters to date. I thought the setting and sports centered town was the perfect setting and added layers to the story. Grandpa Mick was my favorite side character and I thought the relationship between him and Dani was special.

Alec and Dani were simply the cutest. We love a boy who falls first and can’t help but want to help his girl, even when he’s mad at her. I enjoyed their story so much, and as always the element of music/the playlist weaved into their story.

Lynn Painter has the YA romance novel DOWN PAT.

I absolutely adored this one. It follows hockey star Alec as he is holding a lot of pressure to be the town super star while dealing with the return of his childhood crush Dani, who disappeared from his life when he needed her most.

Despite that - once Dani moves back they can’t help but reconnect, get swept up in a fake dating scheme, and be absolutely adorable.

Dani deals with a lot of anxiety and family issues, especially with her dad, but my absolute favorite part was her reconnecting with her grandfather over hockey and watching that relationship grow.

Because Dani has moved around a lot it was really cool to see her find a home for the first time and you couldn’t help but feel that joy in this book.

A great sports romance, a cute YA, and hit all my favorite things.

This was completely just alright. Lynn Painter has a pretty unique style for writing dialogue, that’s very much written like you’re in the character’s head, but I’m not sure it worked for this one. It just made the characters feel even younger than seniors in high school to me. And the amount of cussing in this book is completely unnecessary for a young adult book. It didn’t add anything to the story - if anything, it was just distracting for me.

Things that didn’t work me for aside, I’m still going to keep reading anything Lynn Painter writes. Heck, I even enjoyed her recent middle school book. This one just hit a bit too immature for me, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad book, I just couldn’t connect to it that well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the ARC of this book!