First off let me just say two things…

1. I DEVOURED THIS BOOK WITHIN 24 hours AND I AM CONVINCED LYNN PAINTER IS THE QUEEN OF YA ROM COMS

2. I am SOSOSOSOOO grateful to be one of the lucky ones bestowed with the opportunity to read this book early for the release!!! Thank you Simon Teen I love you guys so much <3

Onto the full review…

There is something so captivating in the way Lynn Painter writes her YA stories. I felt so immersed in the minds of the characters; their voices are so distinctly different that right from the start I got the feel of their personalities right away! Fake Skating is a heartfelt and banter-filled rom-com about childhood sweethearts whose icy reunion in their hockey-loving hometown unexpectedly thaws when they fake a romantic relationship. This book had everything I loved: fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, banter, yearning, and hockey?!? SOLD. This book had so much qualities and charm that I think Better Than The Movies had, which made me LOVE this from the start. And if you think Wes Bennet was the absolute simp/loverboy?!? Wait til you meet Alec 🤭🤭🤭 this boy is soooo loverboy coded it was so funny to read.

All in all, fans of BTTM and any of Lynn’s YA rom coms will be absolutely charmed with this one. Dare I say, this is one of my favorites right after BTTM 🤭

ADD TO YOUR TBR NOW!! ❄️🏒⛸️🩵

Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Lynn releases another fun YA romance escape in 𝘍𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, perfect for fans of hockey romance.

Dani is moving back to Minnesota after her parent's divorce, and she's hoping to survive yet another move by keeping her head down and grades up to stamp her ticket to Harvard. She strikes a deal with Alec, her childhood friend, agreeing to fake date in exchange for a spot as co-manager of the high school hockey team.

While I enjoyed the sweet romance, there were a lot of underdeveloped plotlines and friendships that I would have loved further detail on. It's quick and fun, but it ultimately felt a bit surface level and like it was missing something. Readers will love the main characters and relatable story, but I think they'll be left wanting just a bit more, especially with some of the deeper, emotional topics that the characters overcome throughout the story.

This book was so sweet—I genuinely can’t get enough of the way Lynn Painter writes her men. Alec… you absolute gem.

It gave me serious Better Than the Movies/Nothing Like the Movies vibes with that swoony, banter-filled Liz and Wes dynamic. The fact that it was a hockey romance just made it even better.

That said, the ending felt a little abrupt! Maybe it’s because there’s a book two coming? I’m not sure—but I definitely found myself wishing for one more scene before the epilogues, just to ease the transition and make the wrap-up feel a bit more complete.

Thank you so much Simon Teen and Lynn Painter for the eARC!

Lynn Painter has done it again! I absolutely devoured this book. Dani and Alec were so cute together. I loved seeing how their relationship progressed throughout the book. I highly recommend this one.


Thank you Simon Teen and NetGalley for the ARC!