Fake Skating is a YA Rom-Com that kicks off when Dani and her newly single mother move to a small Stars Hollow like, hockey obsessed, town in Minnesota. It’s here, Dani is forced to reconnect with her ex-best friend, Alec aka Zeus, who is none too happy to see her. But when Alec’s reputation threatens to impact his hockey draft chances, he concocts a plan to enter into a fake dating scheme with ‘good girl’ Dani. A plan that brings up a lot of unresolved feelings between them both.

I’m a total sucker for Lynn Painter’s books. I will read anything she writes! Even though this one is a little too stacked with foul language for a YA book, these characters are so loveable and the pining is top notch!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for an early release copy of Fake Skating.

Fake Skating is being released September 30th, 2025-mark your calendar!

As a die-hard fan of the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, Fake Skating delivered everything I could’ve hoped for and more. Lynn Painter, once again, proves why she’s the reigning queen of YA romance.

Dani and Alec’s story stole my heart from the very first page. Their history is so rich and tender—from shared childhood memories and mischievous adventures to the heartbreaking silence that followed Dani's move away. I felt their distance and longing, and I rooted so hard for their second-chance connection.

When Dani returns to Minnesota for her senior year—dealing with her parents’ painful divorce and the awkwardness of living with her grandpa—I loved how real and raw she felt. And Alec? The transformation from sweet, nerdy best friend to charismatic hockey star had all the angst and tension you want in a YA romance. Watching them navigate their fake relationship and slowly peel back the layers of hurt and misunderstanding was pure magic.

The chemistry between Dani and Alec is electric, but what really got me was the emotional depth—Painter masterfully explores themes of identity, change, and forgiveness without ever losing that signature humor and charm.

This book is packed with laugh-out-loud banter, genuinely touching moments, and a romance that will make your heart flutter and ache in equal measure.

Thank you, Lynn Painter, for giving us another unforgettable couple. Dani and Alec are everything.

one of the cutest ya romances i’ve ever read 🥹🫶🏻 this was actually my first lynn painter book && omg i get the hype now!!!

dani’s parents are getting divorced so she and her mom move in with her grandpa in minnesota & she ends up reconnecting with her childhood bestie alec ( who is now a ✨popular hockey player✨ ). they end up fake dating ( yes pls ) & the slow reconnection + the banter had me kicking my feet the WHOLE time. even when it was predictable, i still had a great time because it was so fun and made me smile so much.

the chemistry?? off the charts. the kisses?? had me holding my breath. alec is one of those soft boy hockey guys that you just know is going to ruin you for all other ya romance love interests 😌 & dani was so relatable, i loved seeing her try to figure out who she was while also falling in love again. also, dani’s grandpa 🥺💛 i loved him so much.

this book seriously gave me all the feels & made me think about my own first crushes. it’s heartfelt, funny, and such a comforting read about finding your way back to yourself and to the people who really know you. i flew through it and know i’ll be rereading someday.

From playground adventures to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable—until Dani moved away. Now she's back in Minnesota and eager to reconnect with the sweet, geeky boy she remembers. But Alec has changed. A lot.

Gone is the quiet kid with comic books—Alec is now the town’s golden boy, a hockey star in a place where players are practically royalty. And he’s clearly thriving in the spotlight.

When a twist of fate forces Dani and Alec to fake a relationship, the lines between pretend and real start to blur. In a town where hockey reigns supreme, love might just skate in and steal the show.

Lynn Painter does it again. I love how she writes characters that everyone can relate to. Social anxiety, social pressures, childhood friends to enemies to lovers, overbearing parents and teens who think they have to bear the brunt of their parents' issues. Painter includes it all and writes it in a way that speaks volumes to the readers. Can't wait to get this one on the library shelves!

Lynn Painter’s books always deliver just the right amount of nostalgia. I find she does a great job writing teenage characters without it feeling forced or cringey (which is difficult to do!).

Both Dani and Alec were adorable. I love their personalities and the depth that their backstories brought to this book. There were just enough flashbacks to set the scene for the story, and I loved how their characters grew as their relationship developed.

I do feel like there were a few loose ends that hadn’t been tied up by the end of the book; like why did Dani bring Benji to the spot when Alec’s dad was in the hospital? But that could’ve been something that I missed while reading. Additionally, I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication between characters. I feel like so many of their problems could’ve been solved with a conversation. To be fair though, I don’t think high schoolers have the best communication skills, so that’s probably a more realistic scenario.

Overall, this was such a good book! Friends-to-lovers is my all time favorite trope, and this book delivered exactly what I was looking for. I’m looking forward to reading more of Lynn Painter’s work in the future!

Dani and Alec were best friends growing up. Dani spent the summers visiting Alec, they had a secret language, they sent messages back and forth- until it all stopped. Years later and Dani is moving back for her senior year of high school. Alec is no longer the kid she remembers, but a hockey god, who wants nothing to do with her.
Lynn Painter, I love you! I absolutely adore Painters YA novels and this one is not exception. The banter was top notch. The characters were likeable and had me rooting for them. I ate this up, and it left no crumbs.

Oh how everything is high school feels so dramatic. 🤣 The soft spot Alec has for Dani in regards to dad being emotionless is sweet. Ah the fake dating trope. Miscommunication of them both not receiving postcards from each other to cause their rift. So sad. I love the Dani and Alec are working together to better both of their images. The vibe is "it takes a village..." with the hockey players and friends and family. Mick is this big softy hiding behind a gruff exterior. I love when it slowly turns from fake to real with the foundation of their past friendship. As much as I am glad Alec hit Benji the face for egging him on, I'm sad he let him get the best of him. I had a feeling Dani's dad had something to do with the postcards mysteriously stopping. I love that Alec was just like "then we're back together" no question about it. Cute story.

🧶🧶🧶🧶🧶 — 5 Stars

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

Lynn Painter has officially entered her hockey romance era—and Fake Skating might just be my favorite of hers yet. It’s the perfect blend of fake dating, childhood best friends to lovers, and second chances, wrapped in all the heart-melting YA nostalgia I crave.

Dani is such a refreshingly real main character. She’s not the quirky rom-com girl stereotype—she’s layered, vulnerable, and incredibly relatable. As a military kid, her life has been one of constant change, and her only constant was the one month each summer she spent at her grandparents’...and with Alec. That is, until one summer changed everything. Now, five years later, Dani’s back—but with divorced parents, the weight of emotional manipulation from her dad, and growing social anxiety, she’s lost the light she used to carry.

And Alec? Oh, Alec. The sweet, nerdy boy from Dani’s memories is now the hockey star of their small town. He wants to hate her for what he believes happened—but his heart never stopped caring. Watching him fall for her all over again is the best kind of slow burn. I loved Wes from Better Than the Movies, but Alec? Game over.

When circumstances force Alec and Dani into fake dating, it becomes more than just a high school ruse. They’re navigating old wounds, unresolved feelings, and slowly remembering what made them inseparable in the first place. The line between fake and real blurs, and the result is full of longing, charm, and so much heart.

The banter? Top-tier. The chemistry? Off the charts. The emotion? Hit me square in the chest. Fake Skating has everything I adore about Lynn Painter’s books—snappy dialogue, swoony romance, and characters that feel like they could be you.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC of this book!

Wow this was just what I needed! I don't think I've read a book this quickly in a very long time. I loved every part of this book! The amount of scenes where I was giggling and kicking my feet was crazy (the second locker room scene *swoon*). This was also my first ever sports romance and I have to say I enjoyed it! This book also confirmed that I love a good childhood friends to lovers. Alec and Dani were so cute.

The only big critique I have is that I wish we got a little more information on the conflicts and conflict resolutions at the end. The postcard thing being brushed over quickly was kinda sad (both the realization and the explanation) and then with Benji at the end. I guess I don't understand why he wouldn't still go to the police after Dani broke her side of the deal...

But! I choose to not nit pick and look past those things.

10/10 would recommend.

Fake skating was truly such a good book and I’m so thankful I received an ARC of it! I was hooked from the beginning and the pacing was fast enough to stay engaged but not where everything felt rushed which is always something that I find super important in books. The short chapters definitely helped with this, I think a lot of readers can say the same when it comes to shorter chapters helping them stay engaged!

I feel like one of the biggest highlights of this book were the characters. Lynn wrote them in a way that felt realistic and that made it so much easier to bond with them and experience everything they went through rather than just watching/witnessing. It is so easy to be taken out of a book when it comes to characters but the exact opposite happened, they drew me in.

ALSO THE BANTER. UGH. I haven’t read a book that has made me giggle this much in a while and it was so refreshing to have a book that genuinely made me giggle and kick my feet. Then, on the other hand, the friendships outside of Alec & Dani were also so nice to read about. Really well executed found family

Overall, to me, this book was a 5/5 and Lynn Painter has made a masterpiece. I truly think a lot of readers (both YA and not) will love reading this and getting to know the characters like I did and I can’t wait to talk about it more:))

My new favorite Lynn Painter book!! I want to read it over and over again. Dani and Alec’s dynamic was perfect, their love palpable. Would definitely recommend!!

Was this an awful experience? No, not really, but I have to say I don't love Lynn Painter, and I liked this one more than most. I guess I'll just share a couple specific gripes, all of which are about Alec.
1. Learn a word other than "fuck," PLEASE. EVERY other word he said was a swear, and by no means am I a prude or a hater of swearing; I love The Lies of Locke Lamora which many describe with "this reads like Scott just learned the word 'fuck'". Alec isn't supposed to be specifically smart or dumb and his characterization is weak as a whole, but by far his biggest flaw is his lack of a flexible vocabulary.
2. The lack of depth in any subplot. I was explaining this book to my sister, and while a million plots are introduced like the letters just stopping, the hockey competition, the fake dating itself, Harvard, etc. none are fleshed out to where I actually cared. The letters plot is just ditched, the fake dating is underwhelming, and the Harvard bit is unrealistic given how many people they defer tbh.
3. "Zeus" the hockey GODDDDD. Holy crap, that was annoying and unrealistic. No one is calling their teenage hockey teammate "Zeus," let alone their general classmate. It's weird and cringe!
4. The reasoning for the fake dating. Why does him DATING the girl he got caught with in the locker room make it better? She's a good girl, sure, but she was still in there and he was still supposedly acting out?
Favorite Lynn Painter yet, but not a fan overall.

I absolutely LOVED this book and am so grateful to NetGalley and Lynn Painter for the chance to get an ARC! I have always been a huge fan of Lynn Painter and Fake Skating continues to be one of my favorites from her. 😭 It was so sweet and felt very relatable in terms of her grumpy grandfather (who softened for Dani, as he should). It was also so sweet to see Dani's mom come back alive while being in her hometown. Ugh, I love Dani and Alec sm!!

"Fake Skating" is about two kids who were close summer friends; Dani and her mom would come to town every summer to visit family and Alec is the guy who she palled around with. Now Dani is moving to town and they're seniors in high school. They are instantly drawn to each other. Alec is a high school hockey star and Dani aspires to go to Harvard and is dealing with the fallout from her parents' divorce. They're kind of sorta opposites with undeniable chemistry.

I loved it. Like any Lynn Painter book, the tension is palpable and the characters all feel super real. I was rooting so hard for everyone! Painter has a way of making every place seem fun, even early spring Minnesota. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Painter's other work and to anyone who likes romantic comedies.

I truly do not enjoy young adult books anymore unless they’re written by Lynn Painter. She takes these high school issues that aren’t relatable to me anymore and makes them so enjoyable to read. Fake Skating was no exception!

I loved Dani and Alec, they were both so likable and had amazing chemistry you could feel through the pages. My favorite character, though, was Mick - Dani’s grandpa. He was a classic grumpy old man who had a sweet spot for his daughter and granddaughter, and he was absolutely NO nonsense 😂

Much of the story’s plot and conflict was driven by miscommunication, which I honestly cannot stand. As much as I dislike it, it is a *me* problem, and it makes sense with the age of the characters. So I’ll allow it!

Dani’s dad infuriated me and the drama revolving around him made me want to throat punch him. But I also loved seeing Dani’s mom bloom and thrive after returning to her hometown, surrounded by people who love her. Such an interesting family dynamic to read about.

I loved this book, but it comes as no surprise since I loved everything Lynn Painter has written! Highly recommend as long as you like YA books!

Read if you like:
🩵 Small towns
⛸️ Young adult books
🩵 Fake dating
⛸️ Hockey romance
🩵 Miscommunication

I was SOO excited for this book and it did NOT disappoint. Everything from the setting, characters, storyline and chemistry was perfect. I felt connected to the characters and their relationship. I love a well done fake dating trope and this did just that! Lynn Painter always had 5 ⭐️ books and i’m excited to see what’s next!

Lynn Painter is always an auto-read for me because her books are always amazing, and I think this one has taken the spot of my absolute favorite of hers! It was spectacular from start to finish! I loved the evolution of the relationship between Alec and Dani, and the ending was wonderful! Highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

this was adorable and such a quick read! alec & dani’s relationship from childhood friends to enemies to lovers was written so well and by the end of the book i was rooting for their happy ending. a perfect read for anyone looking for a cutesy ya romance!

thank you netgalley and simon and schuster children's publishing for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE LYNN PAINTER I LOVE HOCKEY I LOVE ALEC I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT I LOVE NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!!!! Review also on goodreads:

This was such an interesting story and I loved the enemies to friends to fake dating to lovers aspect of the story! Would highly recommend if you enjoy fake dating and sports romance tropes!