Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

Lynn does it again! I am typically not a big YA person, but i will always read Lynn's books, because she writes them so well that you dont even realize its YA, to be honest.

This was a smash, and i really hope that we get a follow up, like we did with her other stories. I would love to see more of these two.

Lynn Painter did it once more, guys! This book wasn’t part of my anticipated release this year but it became as one of my best reads this year for sure! I love everything about this book and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on it!

Dani. Her constant moving from place to place left her with a deep sense of rootlessness, as if she didn’t truly belong anywhere. This frequent relocation, a result of being an Air Force child, inevitably shaped who she became. She was essentially forced to adapt over and over again, and that kind of life change would impact anyone. It’s no surprise that she evolved into someone quite different from the Dani that Alec once knew growing up. That kind of transformation was bound to happen under the circumstances. On top of that, she began to carry a heavy sense of guilt after learning about the many sacrifices her mother made for her. That realization added a deeper emotional weight to Dani’s journey and influenced how she viewed both herself and her past.

Alec. He is completely in love with Dani—wholeheartedly and unwaveringly. What’s truly remarkable about him is that he hasn’t changed a bit when it comes to his feelings for her, even with the time and space that passed between them. His love remained constant, a quiet anchor in the middle of everything else changing around him. However, witnessing his father go through a major transformation due to past events took a serious emotional toll on Alec. He’s always been a family-first kind of guy, and seeing the shift in his dad affected him deeply. You can feel how much it weighed on him. More than anything, he just wants to enjoy playing hockey—the game he loves—without the crushing pressure of letting anyone down. You really feel for him as he tries to hold it all together.

This book had me completely in my feelings. The way Alec loves Dani is so intense and genuine—it’s the kind of love that doesn’t fade, no matter how much time passes. Their connection is the emotional core of the story. But what made this book even more special was how tightly knit every relationship was. The characters shared such a beautiful sense of closeness, and the way they supported one another was heartwarming. It’s the kind of found family dynamic that stays with you.

What happened between Alec and Dani is truly heartbreaking, especially since they were apart during the moments in life when they needed each other the most. That separation created emotional distance that pushed them apart, even though their bond was still strong underneath it all.

Lynn Painter did such an incredible job writing this story. I genuinely cannot wait for the book to be published so everyone can read and experience this beautiful journey. And although there’s no explicit spice, the tension is absolutely unreal. Every time they kissed, the chemistry was so intense that I wanted to scream into a pillow! It felt so real and raw.

Dani’s relationship with Alec’s grandfather was another highlight—it was so touching. I was so upset with her dad for ruining something so special. Grandparent relationships are deeply important to me, so seeing that connection suffer really hit home.

Also, I think we can all agree to collectively dislike Ben. What was even going on with him? He came off as immature, insecure, and honestly kind of annoying.

Overall, I loved this book so much! Lynn Painter absolutely outdid herself. If you're a fan of sports romance, fake dating, childhood friends to lovers, and dual POVs, then you’ll fall in love with this story just like I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

“Hold on, Collins, and never let go.”

Childhood friends and high school seniors Dani and Alec reconnect after several years of not speaking and agree to fake date. They each get what they bargained for and so much more. (TW: grief, divorce, drugs, description of injury, hospital, cursing)

🏒Hockey romance
❄️Friends to lovers
📚Fake dating
🍩Childhood friends
🏒Found family
❄️Minnesota
📚Family dynamics
🍩YA romance

I tend to like Lynn Painter’s YA books better and this one did not disappoint! The dedication got me all choked up. The writing was charming and magnetic from the start. The pacing was a bit slow in the middle and the timeline is a little fuzzy but it doesn’t derail the story. There’s plenty of fun dialogue and lovable characters. The best part of this book is Grandpa Mick!

Dani and Alec both have their own relatable struggles and I loved the character development for both of them! Dani works through some social anxiety and tricky family dynamics. Alec works through boundaries. They had PALPABLE chemistry the entire book!

The plot twist caught me by surprise but the conflict wrapped up in the sweetest, most heartfelt way!

I would love love LOVE to see this book get a sequel like Better Than the Movies did because I neeeeeed to see Dani and Alec in college after that ending!!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Lynn Painter, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC! I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my shelf!

“The simple truth is that all I’ve ever wanted is you- period.”

It felt SO GOOD to be back in Minnesota. Lynn didn’t disappoint with this one!

Growing up, Alec and Dani were inseparable. Until Dani moved away. They promised they would stay in touch, but they didn’t.

Dani had moved back to town for her senior year and is going through some things that would be better with the connection she once had with Alec. Only Alec is now a superstar hockey player. An unlikely string of events brings them together…as a fake couple.

Alec was charming and has the best playlists for every moment. I loved that call back to another character in one of Lynn Painter’s books. Dani struggles through a divorce and all the complicated emotions of loving both parents but having to also find her own path. The chemistry between Alec and Dani was 10/10.

Read for:
🏒Hockey Romance
🏒Childhood Besties
🏒Fake Dating
🏒Dual POV

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Omg Lynn Painter has written an amazing YA romance that made me want to go back to high school.

From childhood besties in the summer to fake dating to mmhmm, you guessed it, it is the sweetest and best YA romance I have honestly ever read.

Dani, no longer having to move from school to school due to military parents, finally gets to settle down some roots in her mom’s hometown which is a big hockey town. AND, her grandad is former NHL all-star so she has somewhat contact fame just by moving in with him.

Reconnecting with her childhood friend, Alec, gets off to a bumpy and interesting start and it goes from there. I loved every single moment of their banter and getting to know each other again. I loved the moments with her grandad so without spoiling anything, I HIGHLY recommend Fake Skating!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to provide my honest review!

Lynn Painter has outdone herself. O M G! This is my new favorite of hers. I love her writing and hockey is my favorite sport so obviously I had to sign up for this one! I loved the representation of military families and divorce. Two things I have experienced. I also suffer from social anxiety and I'm loving that more authors are representing that in their books. There were so many lines I highlighted on my kindle while I read this because I just loved the writing. The amount of times I laughed out loud while reading this is one of the many reasons why I love reading. Alec made me SWEAT. I'll be swooning over this fictional character for awhile. Dani was amazing. There were so many characteristics of hers that reminded me of myself and I loved that about her. This is one of the best sports romcoms I've ever read. I'll need a physical copy of this one so i can reread it again in the future.

5 ⭐️ absolutely loved it!!
The main characters- freaking loved!
The friends- amazing! ❤️
The story was great and the last 20% was a roller coaster of feelings!!
SO SO GOOOOOD! It’s a must read (low spice) hockey romance 🥰


Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🫶

Former best friends Dani and Alec reconnect in their senior year in small‑town Minnesota after Dani’s parent’s divorce forces her to move back home. Dani hopes to revisit their once-close bond—but discovers that Alec, now a revered hockey star, is hardly the cozy confidant she remembers.
A misunderstanding forces them into a fake‑dating arrangement: Alec wants to polish his image before NHL scouts, while Dani needs a standout extracurricular for her Harvard ambitions. As they pretend, past tensions, family complexities, and real emotions bubble to the surface.

I enjoyed the fake dating trope and the blend of humor and growth with the characters.

This is a YA book and for fans who enjoy a sports romance and an overall lighthearted read.

I can’t even explain how happy I am to have gotten this ARC. Top three fav of Lynn Painter books, hands down!

This read made my rom-com heart flutter TO THE MAX. It gave me so many butterflies, I was literally kicking my feet.

I connected with Dani’s character so deeply. I don’t think I’ve ever had an FMC I’ve related to this much. It feels like she was literally written about with me in mind. From her social anxiety to the way she feels like she has to shrink herself into this mold—ugh, it was like reading about myself. I seriously appreciated how Lynn wrote that into the story. Social anxiety isn’t talked about nearly enough, and seeing it portrayed so perfectly had me feeling so validated and comforted.

NOW ALEC??? Oh. My. Gosh. Y’all. There’s something about an MMC calling the FMC by her last name that gets me weak in the knees. Why the hell is that so hot?! I swear something is wrong with my brain; I need to be completely rewired because that shouldn’t be SO DANG attractive. Alec pushing Dani’s buttons had me giggling like a maniac flipping around in my bed. The banter? OH GOSH. The angry tension?? Don’t even get me STARTED. THE VIBES? THEM??? All absolutely immaculate. Chef's kiss. And can we PLEASE talk about how he’s a Swiftie?! That detail took me OUT. I love him. Like Wes Bennett-level love (never thought I’d say that, but here we are!)

Also, Dani and her grandpa? Warmed my heart and made it so full. Their relationship melted me. It was one of the sweetest, most genuine parts of the story, and it gave the book so much more depth.

This is officially part of my comfort read collection. Lynn Painter, AS ALWAYS, has delivered with this one.

4.6 ★

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Unfortunately, I don't think the YA romance books are for me. I won't be giving a lengthy review because I don't think it would be fair to the book or the author. The book simply wasn't for me nor do I think I am the target audience. That said, I do think others might enjoy it! I won't be posting my review on socials or goodreads as to not give a negative affect to the reviews.

Fake Skating is such an amazing book, it had me feeling all of the feels and is one of my favorite Lynn painter books so far! It was such a well written book and had me feeling like I was there with our characters! The banter and overall vibes of the book was a chefs kiss! I’m so happy for this book to go into the world and for others to be able to experience the happiness and feels of this book like I did!

I love Lynn Painter’s writing. This one started very slow for me but picked up quickly. I enjoyed the themes beyond the romance, like family hardships and strains, trials of moving and making friends, and overcoming miscommunication. I thought it was light, good banter between main characters and had a good overall plot. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Lynn Painter always writes the best funny, mindless YA romances! I loved that it was dual POV so that I could understand both where Dani and Alec were coming from. I also thought the subplot of Dani's moving trauma, panic attacks, and relationship with her dad was handled SO well. One small thing I would change about the subplots would be Cassie's character, because I really wanted to know more about her and Dani's relationship (it felt very strangers-to-best-friends, and I wanted to know why so I could root for them). But the biggest thing I would change is that there was almost no resolution to any of the plot. All of the past history between Dani and Alec was never really discussed at all, and even when one of them mentioned it, they never came together to talk about why and how they were going to move past it, they kind of just went straight past to the romance part and forgot about the rest. Next, I wanted to hear more about Benji's character because, although I disliked him, it seemed that it was hinted that him and Dani had a specific past that they weren't sharing, but it was never discussed. Overall, these characters were some of my favorite of Lynn Painter's, and I can't wait to read more of what she writes in the future!

4.5! Lynn Painter’s story plots always hook me, so when I read the synopsis for Fake Skating, I was immediately hooked!

Childhood friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes. There is a sense of comfort and nostalgia between the couple that we as readers get to see and understand. When it came to Dani and Alec, a huge secret was kept from the readers about why their friendship fell apart. Alec can hardly be in Dani’s presence, and Dani does not understand why this is. It doesn’t help that now they have to fake date and convince everyone they ARE childhood sweethearts.

I just absolutely consumed this book! Every aspect, from the fake dating, hockey, found family, and the relatability of what it is like to be a high schooler, sucked me into this story. And the romance!! I loved the way that Dani and Alec's relationship developed from animosity to being fully down bad for each other. I was always laughing from Alec’s point of view because he was trying to convince himself he did not like Dani, as he called her Dani girl… like okay! Alongside the development of their relationship, we also get character development. The portrayal of Dani’s family issues and the struggles both she and Alec faced with the uncertainty of their future allows us to better understand these characters. We see how they grow from these struggles by the end. All in all, this was such a sweet read, and I enjoyed every minute of it

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Children’s Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lynn Painter does it again! Fake Skating has the perfect balance of humor, depth, and romance that made it impossible to put down. Following Alec and Dani’s story of second chances we see a very relatable story of miscommunication, insecurity, and familial pressures high schoolers can face. Lynn does a great job of incorporating the sport of hockey and its intricacies without being cheesy or cliché (especially Minnesota hockey culture as a whole). There were definitely times where I had to remind myself that the characters were still in high school based on some of their decisions but that only made it more endearing. Overall, Fake Skating is another amazing story brought to life, and I can’t wait to see what Lynn has in store in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy!

4.75 ⭐️ I want to start off by saying, Lynn Painter, I was very unfamiliar with your game girl and now you have gained a reader for life.

I felt all the emotions while reading this, I cried (a lot) and I laughed (a lot). I loved everything about Dani, I related to her so hard and she was genuinely so freaking funny, she was everything to me. And when she had her moments with Alec, I couldn’t help but giggle. Their banter was bantering and he book bf’d hard onto my list of men I wish were real.

This book had everything you can ask for, friends to lovers, fake dating, hockey and found family trope. The grump you hate to love, grandpa mick (ily). I do wish there was bit more oomph to the reveal of why they stopped talking, maybe tackled into it a bit more and maybe even a bit more benji (🫣 controversial ik) but I wanted a bit more from him as he was one of the antagonists.

I’m now going to go and download the rest of your books now because I simply need more.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the eARC.

I’ve only read Lynn Painter’s adult romcoms, and I am 100% in love with them. So it’s no surprise that I’m also in love with her YA books.

Dani and Alec were best friends until one day they just…weren’t. And both of them thinks the other ghosted them. And now they are in the same small town and same high school and gah, the forced proximity is so satisfying.

Fake dating is the trope of the day here, but it works so well. Because you never once think it’s fake, and it’s obvious that both characters are so into it and fake pretending.

A little emotional, a little funny, with some mental health representation and found family feel, Fake Skating was a wonderful read that I’ll need to add to my permanent bookshelves.

When I was reading this book I was immersed overall however I didn’t feel that attached to the characters and it felt really brief. This book could have really used some flashbacks and longer chapters it really get you connected. As well as bigger explanation on why characters feel uncomfortable about certain situations and what others relationships were like before. This left me without some answers, a happy feeling, and ready to sleep after binging it.

Lynn Painter does it again! Fake Skating is everything I want in a YA rom-com: childhood best friends, a small-town setting, a fake dating trope, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

Dani returns to her hometown for senior year, feeling like a stranger after her parents’ divorce. The only thing that feels familiar? Alec—her former best friend and now the town’s golden hockey boy. Except… he pretends barely remember her.

But thanks to a perfectly chaotic twist of fate, the two end up fake dating—and that’s when the magic kicks in. Painter brings the banter, the feels, and all the nostalgic warmth of growing up and growing back into people you thought you lost.

I laughed and I felt. The tension was just right, the character growth was so satisfying, and the small-town hockey vibes gave me serious comfort-read energy.

If you loved Better Than the Movies, this one is a no-brainer. Painter’s signature mix of witty dialogue and heart-melting romance makes Fake Skating a must-read for any rom-com lover.

It’s snowing in summer!! Fake dating?? Childhood besties to enemies to lovers?? MUTUAL PINING?? After Nothing Like the Movies, Lynn Painter won me back over — this book was so good.

I love my girl Dani 🫶🏼 overthinking queen. She is me and I am her. AND ALEC BEING LIZ’S COUSIN?? Lynn Painter’s Literary Universe where everyone is connected to everyone >>>

Alec grew up to be an archetypical bad boy but OH HES SOFT FOR HER!! And I hate Benji like omg he’s such a creep get away from our girl. I love love love the exploration of family in this book and how complicated family dynamics can be. At the end of the day, I’ll read anything Lynn Painter writes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

❄️Thank you to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster for the ARC!! All opinions are my own. ❄️