Fake Skating out now from Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers; 448 pages
Content Warning: Foul language, violence, drinking, drugs
About the Author: “Lynn Painter is the author of Better Than The Movies. She writes romantic comedies for tweens, teens, and adults, and when she isn’t reading or writing, odds are good she’s guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms” (Bio from author’s website).
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Dani and Alec were inseparable as kids. Every summer, Dani would stay in Minnesota and spend every moment with Alec, going on walks, getting into mischief, and talking for hours. When Dani and her mom stopped coming back, the two lost touch. Years later, she’s back in town for the rest of her senior year and ready to reconnect with Alec. However, Alec is no longer the nerdy, comforting boy she once knew. Now, he’s a big hockey star in town. After complicated circumstances push Dani and Alec into a fake relationship, the two begin to reconnect. The lines between what’s fake and what’s real continue to blur as the two are forced to face obstacles from all sides.
Fake Skating provided everything I could want from a Lynn Painter book. It was filled with banter, romance, friendship, and heart, just as all of her books are. I’ve been reading Painter’s books since the beginning, and it’s been interesting to see the progression of her YA novels. With her two most recent YA books, Nothing Like the Movies and Fake Skating, I’ve noticed a shift towards an older tone. While I was reading Fake Skating, I was heavily reminded of other adult hockey romances that I’ve read. The way the characters interact with each other, the language used, and the depiction of both the platonic and romantic relationships seem older, as if Painter is writing in the space between young adult and new adult. I think it’s great that she is writing books for older teens that don’t have the explicit content adult books do, but it is important to keep that in mind as a reader reaching for a YA book. In terms of the characters, I loved both Dani and Alec. I appreciated how Painter emphasized the importance of Dani’s familial relationships and how they played a role in her character development. As someone who is also a female intern working in sports, I love how Painter is leaning into trending sports romances by giving her female characters a space within the sports world. Like always, Painter continues to create a captivating love story while still giving her characters their own individual aspirations. That’s really all you can ask for in a rom-com, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer