anything lynn painter writes i will read. i had very high expectations for this book and OH MAN it didn’t disappoint. i loved every second of it. childhood friends/fake dating and sports romance?? YES YES YES.

Lynn Painter’s YA romances usually hit me right in the heart—they always manage to heal a little piece of my teenage self. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t land the same way. It felt less polished than her previous books, and the characters’ behavior was too inconsistent to fully connect with their story.

There were things I did appreciate. The emotional struggles felt honest, and I loved the small-town vibes and Painter’s signature ability to capture a teen voice—Grandpa Mick especially stood out. The premise had so much potential: childhood best friends, second chances, lost letters, hockey. But with the dual POV, the major reveals came too early, which took away some of the emotional payoff.

I don’t usually mind miscommunication—it’s realistic—but watching these characters spin in circles without real growth just made it harder to root for them. That said, it was still an easy, lighter read between heavier books.

Not my favorite of hers, but I’ll always pick up a Lynn Painter YA no matter what.

Nobody does flirting and banter like Lynn Painter! Very cute… didn’t love aspects of the conflict, and other parts were predictable. But overall I’m a fan!!

Lynn Painter can do no wrong and I loved every single second of this book. It was the perfect palette cleanser to some heavier reads I have been reading lately! I loved our two love interests and loved their cute banter! While Wes and Liz will forever be my favorite couple of hers, this duo was a close second! Can't wait to pick up the audiobook!

I really liked this book, it was what I needed at the moment. The teenager turmoils were described perfectly, and overall a good nice book. Thank you for the ARC.

I wanted to love this book, but I definitely struggled with parts of it. First, I felt like the first 30% of the book dragged and it took way too long to get to the actual plot. Then once we did I feel like stuff was never truly resolved and issue after issue just kept happening. It was almost too much. My other issue was all of the language in this book. It’s YA and I know teenagers cuss, but it felt excessive. I also didn’t like the random inserting of song lyrics in Alec’s POV’s. I did like the representation and the major parts of the plot. I just did t love this book as much as some of her others. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

What can I say? Lynn Painter did it again!! This whole book was just so enjoyable. Dani rekindling her relationship with her childhood best friend, Alec, and getting to know her Grandpa as a person and not just the man who took her fishing and who yelled at her father, the colonel. Getting to see her re-find herself after her ever changing childhood was amazing. Even more so - seeing(or reading haha) Alec give her the strength to relearn who she is was just so great! Also Cassie was just such an amazing friend and I think helped show the readers how simple and worth while it is to be kind. As crazy as it sounds, I think the fake dating was the smallest plot of the story. Every glimpse we were given of the characters felt like a gift. All in all I fell in love with just about every character and I would have to say this may just be my favorite Lynn book.

4.5 ⭐️ Lynn Painter is the queen of YA romance. A fake dating sports romance? Sign me all the way up. I loved both MC’s so deeply but also all of the side characters were *chef’s kiss*. I will absolutely be sending requests for Grandpa Mick’s story until I die. The tension all throughout made this so hard to put down — and not just from the romance. This will be THE romance to snag come September.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC!

This one was classic Lynn Painter, short and sweet. What you will find in this one:

High school
Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
He’s a hockey star, she’s got her head in the books


Unfortunately this one felt too copy and paste to me and I found myself wanting it to be over because I knew exactly where we were going. PS. I truly couldn’t handle her smell being described as apple juice.

Fake Skating was honestly one of the best books I’ve read, not just this year, but ever. If I could give it six stars, I absolutely would. The chemistry between Alec and Dani was everything. From the very first flashback to when they were kids, I was completely invested in their story.

I loved the plot, because who doesn’t enjoy a good fake dating trope, especially when it’s mixed with childhood-friends-to-strangers, and a touch of miscommunication? It had all the emotional rollercoaster moments I adore, including a good third act breakup.

One of my favorite things about this book was the found family aspect, how Dani finally found friends who loved her for who she truly was after constantly moving around and never having anyone stick by her side. Alec’s entire friend group embracing her like one of their own was really heartwarming.

I also really enjoyed seeing Dani’s mom reconnect with her old friends, I felt like it added such a nice layer to the story. And Mick? Absolute loved him. Everyone being a little scared and in awe of him was hilarious, but his moments with Dani were so wholesome. You could really feel how much he wanted to reconnect with his granddaughter, and those scenes were just super sweet.

And of course, Alec (aka top-tier book boyfriend material). I seriously loved him and Dani together. Their relationship was everything.

On top of all that, this book made me cry so much. It got me so in my feels. I love when a book makes me feel like that, and this one definitely did.

All in all, this book was something else. In the best way. As in, it was REALLY freaking good.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Lynn Painter for the chance to read this ARC.

Lynn Painter does it once again! This was such a fun read! Although I loved it, it did read very much like YA. This is perfect for a quick summer read!

Lynn Painter is a master at pulling you in and making you fall in love with her characters. I intentionally made myself put this down to draw it out longer. I wanted more of Alec and Dani.
This is the story of Dani and Alec who were childhood best friends. Dani visited her grandpa Mick in Minnesota in the summers where Alec lives. They spent all of their time together and would send each other postcards once a week when they were apart. Dani's dad is in the Army and she has had to move all over the world. Some of the kids at these new schools were not always nice. But as things got hard, the postcards stopped coming, so she stopped writing as well.
In the middle of her senior year of high school, Dani's parents divorce and she moves with her mom to live with her Grandpa Mick. Alec is now the star hockey player and acts like she is no one to him.
What ensues is a beautiful story of maturing, love, family, and perception. Lynn Painter writes coming-of-age stories so well. This book had everything you could want. I can't recommend it enough!

I love a YA written by Lynn Painter. I feel like she just gets high schoolers. I was like “ok yes, these are high school senior personalities.” This one was so good! I liked the characters and the history between them. The idea of them having a fall out and then being forced into the same space years later made this really fun. There is A LOT of miscommunication in this one, but it does add to the story. The community the characters had was so special and took me back to my senior years with all the “lasts.” It was very cute and hockey centered. Also, Mick Boche is an icon.

The best Lynn Painter yet! I'm a huge fan of Lynn Painter and especially her young adult novels, so I was ECSTATIC to get into this! It was truly amazing. I love how Dani developed it was so heartwarming and comforting. I think the entire aspect of this book was enjoyable, and it felt familiar in a nice way, because diving back into a book by a familiar author is great. I love the way the plot developed through the story, and the way every conflict was handled was truly great. I think Dani and Alec is my favorite Lynn Painter couple for sure. This was a fantastic read. Thank you SO MUCH for the arc!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
lynn painter has done it again ladies and gents. Dani has moved from place to place her whole life. Her one constant was her childhood best friend, Alec, whom she’d visit every year in Southview. So when she had to stop visiting, Alec and Dani settled for postcards to each other, until one day, the cards stopped coming. Now Dani is moving to Southview. Alec is a hockey legend and Dani is…quiet. When Alec needs Dani’s help they have to put aside the past and convince everyone the long lost friends are now lovers. Easier said than done. MISS LYNN NEVER MISSES ! i am not ashamed to admit i begged and pleaded on my knees for an ARC of this book ( THANK YOU SIMON TEEN ) and thank GOD i did. Alec and Dani’s story was amazing but i personally loved their individual stories even MORE. Alec dealt with pressure he put on himself in order to not let down the people he loved, but not only that, to not let go of all his hard work. and then Dani who never felt like she had a home and felt replaceable. i just love em. if lynn painter can do anything it’s writing a darn good YA romance and this one is no exception i think growing up is literally the scariest thing, and this book showed that, but it also showed the beauty of getting older. things will change, that’s inevitable, but you can make the best of it and know that in the end things will work out how they’re meant too. and keep your friends close by duh.
Songs i thought of while reading:
i wish you would - taylor swift
little league - conan gray
deeply still in love - role model

2.5⭐️
I really love Lynn Painter’s YA Romances. They have a way of healing the teenager in me who never got an epic love story but really wanted one.

Unfortunately though this one missed the mark for me. It didn’t feel quite as polished as her other works, there was a lot of flip flopping from the characters and just inconsistent behavior. I did relate to Dani because I was a lot like her in high school, but when you are shooting for Harvard and say things like perfectest? Idk it doesn’t sit right with me.

I appreciate the realistic struggles the characters went through, what they experience is normal to a lot of high schoolers and brings representation to issues that people don’t talk about as much, especially from a teenagers viewpoint.

When I’m rating YA romances, I try not to let character’s actions dictate the rating as much because they’re young, and it’s easier for their decisions to get on our nerves. That’s what it is to be young, to make mistakes, teens don’t know how to communicate as well as a a character in their thirties would but even with all of that in mind, this was a frustrating read for me. Maybe I just didn’t care for the characters this time around. Maybe I need to leave the YA romances behind and deal with my old traumas in a better way 🤷‍♀️

I love all of Painter’s books and this is no exception. This one is YA, and I was able to read an advanced copy through my partnership with NetGalley. This novel delves into many issues that today’s teens are privy to, peer and familial pressure, fitting in, divorce, navigating activities and academics, as well as interpersonal and romantic relationships. I enjoyed the sympathetic flawed characters caught up in their own angst and issues, and watching the two protagonists navigate their complicated friendship / romance. I was invested enough in characters that I wanted to peak ahead to the ending (I usually do this before I read!) to make sure all turns out the way I hope, but alas this was an eBook and I had to plow through it, experiencing the ups and downs alongside the characters. Which I gladly did. I love Painter’s writing style and complicated characters and look forward to her future books as I have read all of her published tales already. So, Lynn Painter, if you are reading this, this Gen X reader wants more! If you enjoy well-written YA, check out this title which will be published on September 30, 2025.

Fake Skating was such a fun YA read. It shows once again why I keep reaching for Lynn Painter YA romances when I have started to shy away from others. Painter has perfected how to write a book any age can enjoy and relate to. Here is what made this book a YA romance standout for me.

* The writing was exceptional. I felt every emotion this book was giving.
* Dani and Alec both got POVs in this book. It was nice to understand where both of them were coming from when they had a past.
* Dani and Alec were both hesitant to reconnect and their initial contacts with each other were both awkward and entertaining.
* I loved how they worked through their feelings about each other.
* I also loved how they ended up fake dating while having real feelings for each other.
* They were so sweet together.
* Their friends were fun and added a bunch of great moments. I especially loved how Alec's friends became the support system for Dani she never expected.
* Dani and Alec's families showed up and supported them through every right and wrong move.
* As always, music and lyrics were involved in the story.
* The HEA in the end was so much fun!

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't love about this book. I I didn't want it to end. It left me feeling happy and fulfilled. I can't wait to share it with my daughter. It's a book teenagers and adults will love. And now I'm stuck waiting for Painter's next release - it can't come soon enough!

4.75★

dear god, i’m smiling like an idiot.

i’m such a huge sucker for lynn painter boys, it’s not even funny. alec gave me heavyyyyy wes bennett vibes and i loved every second of it. the banter between him and dani threw me back into better than the movies.

once again, it’s very low stakes, but sooo addicting. there’s childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, found family. so many swoon worthy tropes in this and to top it off, it’s hockey… 👀

that being said, i do wish there was just a little bit more at the end discussing the whole postcard fiasco and ‘the spot’. it did end sort of abruptly, but that doesn’t eliminate the fact that i fell in love with this book and these characters. if i could be lucky enough to get a sequel… 🫣

and a special shoutout to grandpa mick 🥹

I read this in one day because I couldn’t put it down!! Lynn Painter books have that magical quality that makes you want to keep reading!

I think what makes this story is the characters, and I think their backgrounds are some many people will resonate with.

Dani comes from a military family and has switched schools often. Because of this, she has become shy, reserved, socially anxious, and prone to panic attacks. I’m not from a military family or moved a lot, but I am shy and socially anxious. For me, I think the story handled this really well, and it felt easily relatable to.

Alec is also struggling with pressure to do well in hockey so he can hopefully go to the NHL and help his family. I didn’t play sports, but I think a lot of athletes will be able to relate to his story. He does start off as a jerk, but as the story progresses you can tell he really cares about Dani. He does sometimes give Wes Bennett vibes!

My favorite characters are the side characters!! I love how Cassie, Lillie, and Liz become true friends to Dani. Even though they were Alec’s friends first, they are constantly there for Dani and help her when she is struggling. I’m so glad that Dani found some great friends! I also really love Grandpa Mick and how he tried to work through his issues with Dani to be able to support her!

There are two reasons why this was not five stars for me.

First, I felt like the pacing was off sometimes. The beginning felt slow, and it took me about 100 pages to get into it. Mostly, I thought several things were rushed or unresolved. I didn’t feel like Dani and Alec really talked about their issues and instead just continued dating.

The second is I didn’t really feel the fake dating. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but I felt like I wanted more in this story. While individually I knew Dani and Alec loved each other, when they were together I thought their chemistry was lacking. I just wish they had gone on more individual dates and talk about their issues.

Overall, this was a fun and cute YA romance! It does have a Better than the Movies feel and some references to BTTM, so if you’re a fan then you will probably enjoy this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC!