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Review Quotes: Brief Description: "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 on the playground 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 forced 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"-- Biographical Note: Lynn Painter is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, The Do-Over, Betting on You, Mr. Wrong Number, The Love Wager, Nothing Like the Movies, Fake Skating, and Trust Fall. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and pack of wild children, and when she isn't reading or writing, odds are good she's guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms. You can find her at LynnPainter.com, on Instagram @LynnPainterBooks, on X @LAPainter, and on TikTok @WesBennettsMom. Review Quotes: Dani and Alec are childhood besties who only saw each other the summer Dani visited her grandparents in Minneapolis. The last time Dani saw Alec was in middle school, right before the falling out between her parents and Grandpa Mick. Her dad's job in the Air Force caused her family to move all around the country and the world. Her parents never had the perfect marriage, but their divorce has Dani reeling, and suddenly they are moving away from their last station in Germany, all the way back to Minnesota to live with her grandpa. Alec has changed a lot since the last time Dani saw him. No longer is he the short, awkward nerd that she remembers. He is an over six-foot-tall hockey god, beloved by the masses. A huge misunderstanding soon puts them in a compromising position, only fixed by Dani pretending to be Alec's new girlfriend. True to the title, this book follows the fake dating trope to a T. Told in alternating chapters from both Dani and Alec's perspectives, the mystery of why Dani and Alec lost touch with each other is not revealed until the end of the book. This is a feel-good rom-com that accurately portrays the insecurity, complexity, and earnest sweetness of a high school relationship. VERDICT While seemingly formulaic at times, what good romance novel isn't? Give this one to any lover of the genre. --School Library Journal "9/1/25" Publisher Marketing: A #1 New York Times bestseller! 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 Citations:
Contributor Bio:Painter, Lynn |
