The queen of literary rom-coms is back in this laughable and heartwarming story about two childhood sweethearts who reunite in a hockey-loving town.

The story starts with the best friends, Alec and Dani. They form an inseparable bond until Dani has to move because of her father's position in the army, and over time, they lose contact. That is, until a divorce allows Dani and her mom to move back into the cosy hockey-crazed small town. But as time changes, so do people. Alec isn't the stick-figured nerd, but the hockey star of the town and Dani isn't the wildfire Alec used to remember. With all the moving and experiences with bad relationships, she has become more confident and thrown herself into getting accepted into Harvard.

The Characters
The author vividly describes her characters throughout the book, as if bringing them to life. Their scents, the colour of their hair, their tiny quirks and small gestures.
While Dani and Alec are the focal point, the side characters (the parents, friends, adults, neighbours, grandpa Mick, etc.) play a key role in their relationship and (personal) development.
Dani
Imperfect, anxious, relatable, and humorous. Dani isn't your typical romcom FMC, while she has some traits like focusing on Harvard, she isn't that nerdy or introverted girl. Underneath, she's funny, awkward, and desperately looking for her father's love. This makes you feel sympathetic, but also want to slap her because her father is just a jackass.
Alec
From game nerd to hockey jock, Alec is flirtatious and presents the teenage guy pretty well, I believe. He isn't too overconfident, nor does he have a hero complex. It was touching to see how protective he is of Dani, but also how teasing he can be. Even though it might seem annoying, but in a positive, friendly way.
Side characters
I feel as if Lynn Painter incorporates friends/family more into the story and the characters. They support their overall development and have some depth of their own. While I won't say they're novella material yet, it does seem like Painter writes them more autonomously. Like Grandpa Mick, Cassie, and Dani's parents. It does well on the overall dynamics, but I would've loved to see more of Alex's and Dani's friends together as a whole.


The story
It is predictable, yet it keeps you wanting more. There is fake dating, miscommunication, and childhood friends to lovers. But it also addresses teenage life struggles, such as big questions like What do I want after graduation? What is my true identity? Who do I want to be vs what is expected from me? I found it strong how Painter blended these questions into a sweet romcom. The small town also felt very townsey and like a community. Even though it's freezing cold, you could feel the warmth of the townspeople. Their enthusiasm over hockey was contagious in the best way.

Conclusion
Lynn Painter did it again. Writing this heartwarming romcom about teen life difficulties through romance and beyond. It makes you giggle, it makes you feel sympathetic with both characters, you will cheer on, and sometimes you want to slap them for how oblivious they are.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK, for this eARC of Lynn Painter's Fake Skating in exchange for an honest review.

Childhood friends · Fake dating · Hockey romance

This was such a fun, fast-paced read! Alec and Dani were childhood friends who drifted apart after she moved away. When she returns years later, their dynamic has changed — but the chemistry is still there.

The banter is great, the side characters shine, and the story handles anxiety and family issues with care. If you love Lynn Painter’s books, you’ll enjoy this one too

honestly stunned that i’m writing this review because this book was among my MOST anticipated readings of the whole year and guess what? it didn’t disappointed and in all honesty dare i say my favourite lynn’s book (obviously i’m not counting the OG) but basically YES, WE ARE SOOOOO BACK because fake skating was everything i expected and MORE… the way it was so easily relatable (especially for me like lynn you definitely got me here) and i ended up DEVOURING it but we aren’t surprised here right?

i don’t even know where i should even start with my rant because everything was so addicting from the writing to the characters.

i truly love alec and dani so much even tho they are teenagers they were so mature and relatable (maybe a little too much for me but details) they were caring, sarcastically funny, lovely, cute and their chemistry it was totally SOMETHING ELSE seriously the way the thought about each other feelings and their moments… yes while i was reading the book i ended up rereading some scenes already but again we aren’t surprised :”) but besides from this i truly loved how the friendship, the family and the sport themes were included during the story it was so genuinely good that sometimes i felt to be really immersed in the story while reading so YEAH what can i say… I WAS OBSESSED and STILL AM call me guilty as sin for loving them and smiling even while writing this review :)

so… what are you waiting for? go and this book to your TBR and thank me later or better thank lynn later :”)

a HUGE thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's and Netgalley for sending the e-arc of this lovely book in exchange for my honest opinion :”)

fake skating was everything i wanted in a ya romance — hilarious, nostalgic, emotionally grounding and just the right amount of chaotic teenage energy.

plot ―୨୧⋆ ˚ i had so much fun reading this. like, unreasonably so. there’s something about lynn painter’s ability to make you laugh, ache, and scream into a pillow all within a chapter that just does not miss. the fake dating setup had me hooked immediately, but what really got me was how much heart was layered beneath it. it wasn’t just about the will-they-won’t-they (even though that was DELICIOUS) — it was about memory, change, and figuring out who you are when the person you were as a kid collides with the person you’re becoming. it gave better than the movies vibes but with more intensity, more bite, and honestly? even more depth. the pacing was sharp, the stakes felt real, and i couldn’t stop flipping pages.

dani + alec ―୨୧⋆ ˚ I am OBSESSED with them. truly. like the banter??? unmatched. and the way they just got each other even when they were pretending not to?? too much. i loved how dani wasn’t afraid to call alec out but also gave him space to be more than just the golden boy everyone saw. and don’t even get me started on alec—cocky hockey star on the outside but still the soft, nerdy boy. their relationship felt so layered and real and awkward in the most teenage way possible. and yet somehow still more emotionally honest than half the adult romances i’ve read this year.

overall, this book just made me feel. like, actually feel. i was giggling one second and getting hit with a wave of teenage longing the next. lynn painter always knows how to deliver the fun, but this one had that extra something — the nostalgia, the emotional pull, the slow realisation that maybe the person you need is the one who's known you the longest. i laughed, i squealed, i highlighted too many lines. if you're a fake dating + childhood friends girlie, give this a read immedialty!

2.5* rounded down!

I just want to start off by saying a huge thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for an arc of ‘Fake Skating’ ahead of publication! I went into this with high expectations and I feel like I set myself up for disappointment in doing so.

Fake Skating is a fake dating x slow burn romance that follows in the pov of childhood friends to enemies, Dani and Alex.

While Lynn Painter’s books are usually romance heavy, Fake Skating is more plot driven and the romance doesn’t really pick up until after about ~57%.

I wanted to enjoy this but the miscommunication just really bothered me. I feel like it could’ve been wrapped up quicker than it did, and the resentment held for each other could’ve been squashed. It didn’t make sense to me that Alec held so much resentment for Dani—that we saw in his pov almost every chapter—but would jump to her aid when it was required.

I didn’t like how much cursing there was—it was almost every other sentence in the dialogue that it felt excessive, and it really took me out of the story. I didn’t rate the pop culture references, either. I love a reference here and there, but there’s only so many times Taylor Swift is referenced that I’m suddenly over it.

Ultimately I think this story wasn’t for me, and it’s a shame because I’m usually a big fan of Lynn Painter and her romances.

Many thanks to netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this beautiful and heartwarming book. It was truly enjoyable and I'm glad to have been given the chance to read an early copy of this

4.5 ⭐️

Circumstances might have torn them apart in the past, but two souls meant for each other will always find their way together. And Dani and Alec are just that. Two childhood friends, who lost contact and left things between them unfinished. But when life pushes them back together nothing can stop their reconnection and tangible emotions from growing.

Lynn has never failed to excel in writing about boys heads over heels in love with their girl. And I'm talking down-to-their-knees, absolutely lovestruck, fools-in-love boys. And I love it every single time. Alec is your golden boy, ice hockey legend, carrying all the weigh in his back , trying not to mess anything up and to be of help to his family. He's a well structured character, I enjoyed seeing his teasing side as well as his emotional depth and character complexities. The struggles of a student-athlete with so much baggage to carry and all while trying to sort out his own emotions for the girl he so inevitably fell in love with -again-.

Said girl, Dani, your little sunshine who grew up to be hardened by the brutality of real life. Having no stable home as she was growing up, she is deprived of a "home", the meaning of the word unknown to her. So when life decides to pry on her and throw her way hardships she couldn't have imagined, her only relief is seeing her old best friend, the boy she once laughed alongside happily. But life is not linear and things don't go as planned.

What I truly enjoyed about the book was the reality of the characters and their bonds. I specifically loved Dani's relationship with the male relatives of hers. The fractured relationship with her grandfather and the slow progress they made. Also the bond with her father, which so obviously tore her apart and how truthfully it was presented. Familial relationships aren't always easy and this was a great example of the complexity of them. I also loved to see how close Dani grew with everyone. The friends she once thought were only fake, temporary friends turned out to be the second family she needed. The people who made her feel at home and like she belonged.

Lastly, Dani and Alec's relationship and dynamics were amazing. I love me a good angst and some drama so imagine how thrilled I was to find out they do meet up after so many years as low-key enemies and strangers. To see how they constantly fight their feelings for each other, pretend it's all fake, only to give in to their heart in the end— oh I love that. And then the 2/3 breakup yeah, predictable but made sense and spiced everything up a bit

Although quite predictable (especially if you've read other Lynn Painter books), the book was still enjoyable enough to have me binge it and finish it in one single day. It's swoon worthy, with mcs so in love with each other and a heartwarming feeling of belonging and found family

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

I am a Lynn Painter fan for life because whatever she puts in these books just do something special for me.

This is a heart warming friends to lovers romance with a second chance twist. I adore this tight knit community vibe where everyone seemed to be reconnecting which leads to our main characters reuniting and it’s TENSE. There’s banter and sports with a simmering tension between our pair that turns into something really special and completely worth the wait.