review ♥
fake skating- lynn painter
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Daniella Collins is entering her Senior year of high school in Southview, Minnesota, after living in Germany, where her father was stationed as a soldier. She has struggled to find herself a home and friends after upping her entire life various times for her father's job. She is an overachiever who has her sights set on Harvard, but worries that moving schools during her last semester and not having enough variety in her application will prevent her from being accepted into her dream school. Alec Barczewski met Dani when they were children because their moms are childhood best friends. They grew up playing together and wrote secret coded messages during their time apart. One day, when Dani stops writing Alec, his heart is broken after longing for her their entire lives, and for her lack of presence during the most difficult time in his life. Alec focuses on hockey and aspires to be a successful NHL player to pay off his father's medical bills from an earlier accident. When Dani moves to Southview High during their last semester of senior year, Alec's entire world turns upside down. Dani needs to enroll in an extracurricular activity to improve her well-roundedness for Harvard admissions, and the only spot available is the Team Manager of the high school hockey team, where Alec, better known as "Zeus", is the star player. To achieve this position and secure her spot at her dream school, she makes a pact with Alec to fake date so he can get her the position as manager, and she can improve his likability to college scouts.

Lynn Painter always succeeds in creating YA romances that make my heart swoon and fill the empty spot in my childhood where I never experienced teenage love. I adore how Lynn writes her characters. They have all the depth and emotions of young adults and deal with the typical struggles that arise at that age. They are not mature by any means, but they also deal with common dilemmas of the teenage years. I also adore the childhood friends to lovers trope and the mother's best friend's son trope. It was super cute to read about Dani and Alec's childhood years, and to see how real circumstances brought them apart. I am not too big a fan of the miscommunication trope, but I feel it works well in this because of the age and experiences of the characters. Dani is an overachiever who has dealt with bullying and struggled to find a place she can call home. Alec is also an overachiever, but he desires to excel in hockey so he can help pay off the debt of his father's medical bills. I love how both characters are determined and want to have bright futures for themselves, but how they grow to understand and help one another, even though they grew apart during their childhood. Both characters are selfless and wish to see the other grow and succeed, even when they were hurt by one another previously. The maturity of the characters for their age is beautifully written, because it balances the superficial, but entirely consumable problems of teenagers, while still allowing them to have a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. There are a lot of tropes in this book, but I feel Lynn Painter has a great handle on utilizing and melding them together so they fit seamlessly into a plausible real-life experience. The struggles of growing up, making friends, fitting in, getting into your dream college, falling in love, succeeding in athletics, and dealing with family health and divorce are common themes appearing in young adulthood. This is the type of lighthearted and meaningful book that is perfect for young and mature readers alike. The depth and complexity of the plotline, the characters, and their backgrounds make Fake Skating such a fun read. I adore her YA collection and cannot wait to see what else is in store in this universe!

✨ARC Review✨

5 stars for FAKE SKATING by Lynn Painter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely looooved this book! Lynn Painter has such a knack for creating rom-coms that feel both swoony and effortlessly funny, and FAKE SKATING was no exception.

The story follows Alec and Dani, childhood best friends who drifted apart and turned into enemies over the years. When circumstances push them into a fake dating arrangement, all their old feelings — and plenty of new ones — come bubbling to the surface. I loved how this blended friends-to-enemies-to-lovers with fake dating, which made the tension and the payoff so satisfying.

I also really enjoyed the musical aspect of Alec’s character. He had a song for every situation and always had music playing — sometimes out loud, sometimes literally in his head. It made him feel so unique and added a lighthearted vibe even in the more serious moments.

Another part I loved was Dani’s relationship with her grandpa. Seeing him try to connect with his now-teenage granddaughter after so many years apart was so heartwarming. Mick F*cking Boche (IYKYK) was the real MVP here, and it should be noted that he was absolutely adorable underneath all his tough exterior.

The contrast between Alec as the cocky hockey player and Dani as the quiet “good girl” was so much fun to read. Their banter was sharp and genuinely hilarious, but there was also so much tenderness underneath.

This is a YA novel, and it proves you don’t need spice to keep a story engaging. The plot was strong, the characters were relatable, and the romance was perfectly sweet without feeling overly innocent or watered down. There was so much good content here that I feel readers of all ages can enjoy it. (However — there is a ton of language for it being YA and the F bomb is dropped at leastttt 200 times.)

Lynn Painter’s writing is fresh, smart, and so much fun. She always manages to balance humor with deeper emotional stakes, and this story had both in spades. If you love enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and witty dialogue, this one should definitely be at the top of your TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Simon & Schuster for the ARC! I can’t wait to recommend this to every romance reader I know. Keep an eye out for FAKE SKATING — coming out September 30, 2025. I’ll probably read it again when it’s released because it was just ✨that✨ good!

Fake Skating is a sweet and swoony read packed with childhood best friends, secret crushes, fake dating, and all the complicated feelings in between. Dani and Alec used to be inseparable during their summer visits together ... until their letters stopped, or did they? Now she’s back, and Alec’s not the nerdy boy she remembers… he’s a full-blown hockey star.

What I really loved was Dani’s perspective as a military kid. The way she opens up about constantly moving and starting over felt so real, and it’s something I haven’t seen much in books like this. The fake dating setup is fun, but the emotional depth, especially Dani’s tough family dynamics and Alec's desire to succeed in his hockey career, gave the story so much more heart.

It’s the perfect mix of romance, drama, and real-life struggles. A definite win for fans of friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes!

OMG THAT IS ONE CUTE BOOK. It was perfectly paced, perfectly adorable, while also not being too unrealistic. I genuinely enjoyed this read. Lynn Painter can do no wrong

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
5+/5 🌟
Lynn Painter has always been one of my favorite authors and writers. Her writing always manages to suck me into her books and I end up reading them very quickly. Nothing was different for Fake Skating. I read this book in 6 hours and was obsessed with Dani and Alec.

Immediately reading the prologue I became curious about what happened during those years Dani and Alec had spent apart. What happened? Why did this happen? What caused the distance to grow between them not just physically but in their relationship? By the end of this book, all of my questions were answered.

Lynn has a way of really capturing how the characters are feeling and their thought process. You feel their different personalities in the way they talk and think. One thing I noticed while reading this book was how much Dani grew into herself while spending time with Alec. She had opened up and you saw how she felt like she belonged somewhere.

Ugh and of course the romance in this book is top tier. Few things are better than a fake dating trope especially when it’s childhood friends to lovers. While they had spent so much time apart, as soon as they were together it was like a light switch was flipped on and suddenly they were acting like they hadn’t stopped talking.

I loved how Alec expressed how he felt for Dani. Even though it was “fake” clearly the way he was supposed to be feeling wasn’t. Him just being excited to be in her presence. Him being down bad and obsessed with her. Calling her baby. Cmon what could be better. And OBVIOUSLYYY he’s a hot hockey star. Like what could be better.

I am so so so excited for this release on September 30. Mark your calendars because this is a great one. If you love Lynn Painters other books I almost guarantee you’ll be obsessed with everything about this one.

Thank you so so much @simonteen for giving me the opportunity to read and recieve this book early. It is a complete dream come true!

I did not expect anything less than 5 stars from this! I absolutely love Lynn Painter's books and this book is another reason why! She has charmed me with her writing once again because I seriously could not stop smiling while reading. I loved everything about it from the story to the characters to the romance. It was such a heartwarming and refreshing read and I know I can always count on Lynn Painter to deliver exactly what I want in a romance! The connections were so genuine and lovely to read about and the main characters had my heart. The writing was easy to get into and I could not put this down once I started. I had such a fun time and I would absolutely recommend it if you want something sweet and entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc!

My bestie is OBSESSED with everything that Lynn writes so naturally I was intrigued.

This story was honestly SO sweet and 100% would have been the type of book I would have been obsessed with in my teens. Even as an adult, I found the romance, heartache, and friendship to be written so beautifully that it was refreshing. This story just follows two kids who end up at odds through no actual fault of their own and it takes learning how to communicate and battling their own history to bring them together.

Thanks net galley for the e arc. Lynn Painter has done it again and im actually obsessed. Better Than the Movies was my favorite but I think Fake Skating officially took the top spot. Love Alec!! The easiest 5 stars. I cannot wait to get a hard copy once its released.

Thank you Net Gallery, Simon & Schuster, and Lynn Painter for the opportunity to read this arc!

Over the past few years Lynn Painter has become one of my favorite YA romance authors. Her stories feel like stepping into the early 2000s romantic comedies. This new book is no exception. Painter introduces new characters, Dani and Alec to our world (and finds a way to include them into the growing Painter universe). I do love the use of music, allowing the audience to see how the characters feel; this also ties previous books together.
I enjoyed the tone and imagery throughout the story. Fake dating is a trope Painter is not new to, yet it was still an enjoyable read.
I do enjoy the different point of views as it creates suspense for the characters feelings, miscommunication, and true thoughts (as they aren’t always telling each other the truth). While overall, the story has a nostalgic romantic comedy feel, there are some aspects that aren’t concluded, such as an instance with a conflicting character, Benji, that is mentioned throughout.
The beginning was slow, as readers are grasping the pieces of information from the current point of views, trying to find our footing, but once Alec and Dani interact for the first time, the story moves significantly quicker and I pulled an all-nighter to finish.
I did love the family and friendship dynamics as in the story, as they showed complex relationships, especially with Dani’s father and grandfather. Given the characters are childhood sweethearts/friends, I did hope to see more flashbacks with the main characters younger or even flashbacks with Dani’s family to help build the relationships.
While the miscommunication helps build suspense, I did hope to see it resolved more and also have higher stakes for miscommunications to make it more important to the story. Some resolutions to the story seem to wrap up and be brushed under the rug rather quickly despite them carrying a lot of weight prior to the end; however I feel this choice might be to keep the story light-hearted for YA and romance.
Hockey romance is a popular niche in the book community, so this story does seem to reflect and feel similar to other hockey romances on the market, however I feel as though Painter’s writing makes the story stand out. Overall, if you are a hockey romance fan, Lynn Painter lover, and want a cutesy feel-good read, this is fore you.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lynn Painter, and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC! ₊˚｡❆

⛸️❄️🏒

Ahh, I honestly wanted to love this book, but I fear it was missing something to truly captivate me. First of all, it started a bit slow—Alec and Dani didn’t even meet until 16% into the book! Okay, Dani… I actually wanted to hug her because what Alec said at the beginning? Gut punch!
Then we have Alec. Honestly, I didn’t really like him. He was cursing in basically every chapter, lol. And him being pissed at Dani without communicating about it?
LIKE PLEASE, JUST TALK! Even at the end, they didn’t have the best conversation to resolve the issue that separated them.

There were some cute and tension-filled moments between them, BUT come on—the miscommunication had me so frustrated! Still, this was a cute story overall!

I usually like YA books a decent amount but this one felt very childish to me. Overall just felt myself struggling to get through this. I do like Lynn Painter but his one just didn't do it for me

I just knew I was going to love this as soon as I discovered the tropes. Painter has some of the best imagery and storytelling around. Its quick, fun, easy and so easy to get lost in and not come out for hours. I wasn't a huge fan of the last book i read by her, but this has completely redeemed and i will be a fan for life.

this was so sweet i almost got a toothache ugh! i always am down for a good lynn painter book and this will not let down any expectations! i flew through this book literally and finished in like 2 days which is an accomplishment for me! i really liked dani and alec and their relationship, they were so so cute! i've gotta say that childhood friends to lovers has got to be one of my favorite tropes ever!! but fake dating isn't so that's really i guess more of my fault than lynn painters but the thing with fake dating that i hate is its redundancy and how absolutely cliched it is, but i think looking past that this book did it as well as it could! overall, if you are looking for a fun, sweet, light=hearted romance, please read this ugh it checked all of the boxes for me!!

a huge thanks to lynn painter and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest opinion!! <3

I loved this one! I read it in just 24 hours, and coming off a huge reading slump, that says a lot.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the absolute pleasure of reading Fake Skating.

I’ve never read a sports-related romance before, but I’m a big fan of Lynn Painter, and this one did not disappoint. As you can probably tell from the cover, this is a YA novel—and that’s my favorite format for this author.

Dani is a military child who’s been moving her whole life. The only constant from place to place was the person she always spent her summers with: Alec, her childhood best friend and the son of her mom’s best friend. They were inseparable and shared many firsts. After their last summer together, Dani moved to another country, and they kept in touch through letters—until one day, the letters stopped. Now, Dani is back for good in her vacation town (and her grandfather’s old house) after her parents’ divorce. The last person she wants to see is Alec… but fate seems to have other plans.

This book had me hooked from the first page. There’s a whole mystery surrounding the letters, and the chemistry between the characters is so strong that you can’t help but want to know what happened. I also loved the atmosphere with the upcoming game and how Lynn explored Alec’s struggles and challenges.

Beyond the romance, the relationship between Dani and her grandfather was beautifully developed. It wasn’t just a side plot I wanted to rush through to get back to the romance—it was meaningful and heartfelt. I loved how he stood up for her and helped her see her father’s behavior as it was. Speaking of her father… it’s complicated. As someone with divorced parents myself, I didn’t love that part, but I could understand Dani’s journey and rooted for her to find her voice and stand her ground.

It’s a 5-star read. It’s great. It’s heartfelt. It’s another Lynn Painter win!

This is my FIRST Lynn painter book , && it did NOT disappoint! I have to say that if all of her books are this cozy and funny, then sign me up for the rest, because I’m hooked!
This would be the PERRRFECT read for when it’s cold outside with a bit of snow on the ground because it gives all the cozy, heart warming, and adorable feels to warm ya right up. 🥰

I love the found family trope and Lynn painter did any amazing job with it. There is a teensie weensie bit of a miscommunication trope, BUT only to add a bit of a plot twist in… nothing to big to ruin the book, for all of my fellow readers out there that also HATE the mis communication trope. lol 😥
Our mmc, Alex, is a big softie on the inside with a hard exterior shell when it comes to hockey.
Our fmc, Dani, is shy and quiet at first but slowly turns into this fun, outgoing, smartass, with absolutely hilarious, witty banter that had me cackling.

I just absolutely adored this book and their story. ♥️



I mean it has:

-Hockey romance 🏒
-fake dating
-Childhood friends-to-lovers
-Small town
-Found family ♥️
What else could you ask for? 😉





Thank you so much NetGalley for arc copy in exchange for my honest review !

Initially, the novel felt very YA, which can be good or bad depending on the experience you're aiming for. However, Lynn Painter never fails to create an amazing, heartwarming romance--so all's well that ends well. I'm also a big fan of the sports plot line, and as a skater myself (although not hockey), I found that aspect very fun.

thank you again @netgelley for giving me the chance to read one of my most anticipated read of the year!!

LYNN PAINTER DID IT AGAIN!!! She’s always eats and I will always be fed. Alec and Dani have my heart. I usually don’t like childhood friends to lovers or friends to lovers. But she made it work. The way that they never denied their feelings for each other and knew they were in love ATEEEE!! the miscommunication hurt me IT PMO because the way it was the dad the whole time.. the audacity of him doing that. the way he kept messing it up smh. Also another trope she ate was the fake dating I really loved how it worked with the plot. It’s also my least favorite trope but lynn painter has changed my mind. ALEC BARCZEWSKI “ZEUS” MY MAN!!!! this man had me giggling and kicking my feet, and blushing at my kindle. I even needed to take pauses when I was reading so i can collect myself, remind myself this is fictional. BUT I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT. His thoughts had me cackling, that man’s intrusive thoughts had me blushing the way he was the line between ya and adult I CANT- I LOVE HIM. I just love the inner monologue I felt very connected to the characters in general. They had so much personality and I felt so relatable to them. The struggles that had faced. Dani and her divorced parents, and the struggles being a military kid. The way she was so outgoing when she was a child and when she became older the moving affected herself. However, Alec obviously helped her and made her gain confidence in herself. Dani helping Alec by being there for him. Knowing Alec’s struggles about his family financial problems, and having the peer pressure about needing to help them by not chasing his dreams and ignoring his health/injury problems. But at the end everything worked out. The third-act break up broke me because omg that break up I CANT- however the way Dani was so selfless about Alec’s future shows the amount of sacrifice she would do for him. BENJI. that get me started with him. IM NOT EVEN GOING TO CALL HIM BEN. HES BENJI TO ME. HA. I really loved how the friendships were formed and how everyone was there for one another. GRANDPA MICK!!!! I LOVE THAT MAN. The concept of him and Dani needing to build their relationship again. It was so sweet, the way that grumpy man had a soft spot for his daughter and granddaughter. When he would read from google “how to talk to a teenager” I CANT HE WAS SO FUNNY!! He was always there for Dani and the way he always believed in her. He helped her through her panic attacks, because he had them too. Their relationship was so wholesome, I loved their moments together. I miss them already.

I can’t wait for all of you to read this book!!

This is definitely my new favorite Lynn Painter book! I fell in love with Dani and Alec almost instantly.. they were childhood best friends are just reconnecting after Dani moves back to Minnesota. I loved seeing their relationship blossom, the chemistry was off the charts and had me holding my breath with them at times. I absolutely loved the small town setting and how important the hockey community was for them. I live in small town Alaska with a very similar community so it was fun connecting on that level with a book. Overall I am now obsessed with this book and will definitely have to reread it come winter.

I want to extend my thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing for the ARC of *Fake Skating* by Lynn Painter! As a big fan of Lynn Painter’s books, I found this one to be fantastic! The story resonated with me, bringing back those high school emotions surrounding close friendships and the fallout that can come with them. Although the relationship between Dani and Alec was rocky when they reunited, it was clear that there was chemistry between them; they just needed to communicate and work things out. Communication was a significant missing piece in their relationship, but they are just teens trying to figure things out. My only complaint concerns the amount of cursing in the book; I felt it was excessive and not entirely necessary. Overall, though, it's a cute and quick read that took me down memory lane to my own high school crushes.

Lynn Painter is the queen of a YA romcom! She just gets better every time. Loved this cute story, the only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is I wish we would’ve gotten a little more background on Dani and Alec’s friendship in their younger years - like some flashbacks or anecdotes!