Review Detail

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.