Fake Skating

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Author(s)

Lynn Painter

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

16+

Release Date

September 30, 2025

ISBN

978-1665921268

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies Lynn Painter comes a heartfelt and banter-filled “feel-good rom-com” (School Library Journal) about childhood sweethearts whose icy reunion in their hockey-loving hometown unexpectedly thaws when they fake a romantic relationship.

Growing up, Dani couldn’t help but follow around the adorable son of her mom’s best friend. Funny, kind of nerdy, and a little soft, Alec was always down to hang with Dani when they were little. From play dates to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable. Until Dani moved away. Alec promised they’d stay in touch—except, they didn’t.

Flash forward and Dani is back in Minnesota for her senior year, she and her mom living with her grandfather. Dealing with the fallout of her parents’ devastating divorce, Dani wouldn’t mind a nerd-out with the cozy and comforting Alec (and maybe a chance to confront him on his MIA status for all these years). But teenage Alec is nothing like the kid Dani remembers. He’s a hockey star in a town where hockey players are worshiped as gods. Dani’s place as his shadow has been taken up by drooling female fans…and he loves it.

Dani is resolved to ice out her former best friend until an unlikely series of events brings them together—and forces them to fake being a couple. Once stuck together, the former childhood sweethearts begin to reconnect, unearth complicated family secrets, and face their true feelings towards each other…including the real reason Alec has been pushing Dani away all these years.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Cute YA Romance

March 20, 2026 (Updated: June 20, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Lynn Painter to date, but I think Fake Skating takes the win.
It has just about everything I could want in a YA romance: hockey, fake dating, miscommunication (even if it is stretched a little too long), dislike to lovers and all the feels.

Told in dual POV of Dani and Alec, we get to experience everything the characters are feeling. The heart racing moments and the stomach dropping, the anger and the betrayal. All of it.

Painter does a great job of establishing the backstory and fleshing out each character and relationship. Every person we meet feel real in one way or another, my personal favorite being Grandpa Mick.
Alec had been through so much, his world being tossed around multiple times, he feels the world on his shoulders. You can't help but feel for him.
Dani is dealing with the divorce of her parents AFTER constantly moving being the child of a military man, so she becomes this shy closed off character riddled with anxiety.

I love that Painter includes playlists for her books, sometimes I can find a few new to me songs to listen to. But I sometimes wish authors listened to the same music I do so I could connect with the story/emotions more.
The romance is clean, the characters never going beyond kissing. There is some underage drinking and mentions of drug use, as well as some violence. I found the foul language to be a bit much, even for a YA book.

Fake Skating is worth the late night staying up to finish it, and totally worth a re-read!

Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer Top 50 Reviewer 379 reviews

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Best Lynn Painter Book Yet!

March 05, 2026 (Updated: June 20, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Fake Skating may be the best Lynn Painter book yet! The book was told in alternating points of view of Alec and Dani, which helped flesh out both characters. What usually leaves me wanting more in other books by Painter is that female characters say they have best friends or close relationships, and then they aren’t a factor in the story, leaving the character feeling flat. That issue was cleverly taken care of with Dani’s character. She is an army kid used to moving around all the time. Dani has anxiety from not having close friends, and her learning to trust and overcome that feeling of being unmoored, in addition to her love connection with Alec, makes her a well-developed character.
Dani and Alec’s connection is well done. Their mothers are best friends, and every summer for a month, Dani comes to stay with her grandparents, growing up, so she already has a deep history with Alec. There was a break in their connection, which allowed us the fun banter and tension of dislike to lovers. That deep connection in the backstory makes their relationship feel strong and realistic once they start their fake dating relationship. Her ability to find a stable place to call home is just icing on the cake.
Overall, this is a feel-good story with great chemistry between the characters. While there is passion, they never do more than kiss, making this a clean YA romance to enjoy.

Connie Reid, Site Manager and Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 1020 reviews

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User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0(2)

Characters

5.0(2)

Writing Style

5.0(2)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A(0)

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Fake Skating Review: Fake dating trope !

March 20, 2026 (Updated: June 20, 2026)

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Fake Skating is such a fun and easy-to-get-into romance that mixes childhood nostalgia with that classic fake dating tension.

The story follows Dani, who moves back to her hometown expecting to reconnect with the sweet, awkward boy she used to know. Instead, she finds Alec, who is now basically the opposite of what she remembers, a confident hockey star who thrives on attention! Their dynamic changes quickly when they end up pretending to be in a relationship, and from there, things get messy in the best way, of course.

What I really liked about this book is how natural the chemistry feels between Dani and Alec. You can tell there’s history there, and it makes all the tension and emotional moments hit harder. I also liked how the story didn’t just rely on the fake dating trope but actually explored how people change over time. Dani has to come to terms with the fact that Alec isn’t the same person she once knew, and Alec has his own layers beyond the "confident hockey persona". It made their relationship feel more real instead of just cute.

That being said, there were moments where Alec’s attitude annoyed me a little, especially in the beginning when he leaned too much into that popular guy image. I wish we got to see his softer side earlier on. Still, watching that side slowly come out ended up being one of my favorite parts. I also liked the small-town hockey setting, it added a fun backdrop and made everything feel a bit more intense socially.

My favorite part was the shift from fake to real, those moments where you can tell they’re catching feelings but don’t want to admit it. It’s awkward and sweet at the same time, which made it really enjoyable to read. Overall, it’s a cute, slightly messy romance with good tension and characters that feel like they’re actually figuring themselves out.

Good Points

Strong chemistry built on childhood history and tension

Fun fake dating trope with emotional depth

Small-town hockey setting adds extra drama and charm