About the Book:
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.
*Review Contributed by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer*
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!
*Find More Info & Buy It Here!*
