Lattes, Lipstick & Literature: Book Review: The Fake Dating Trope by Jennifer Ann Shore

Publication Date:September 1st, 2022

When Lucas Hunt proposes that we fake a relationship to get what we both want, I think it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

Yes, I need my car fixed, and yes, he needs to publicly move on from his disaster of a past relationship, but I’m not sure my anxiety or my preference for solitude can handle what he’s asking of me.

After all, as an avid reader and the star employee of Books & Beans, I’ve read enough fake dating trope storylines to know how this ends.

I refuse to be the girl who falls for the guy she’s pretending to be with.

Even though we’re spending all this time together, and I’m getting to know the real version of him, and he’s absurdly nice to look at—

Nope.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Not me.

Definitely not.

… I’m in so much trouble.

Rating

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Hello Fellow Readers,

One of my favorite romance tropes is the fake dating trope, so this was an instant must read, and I am so glad that I did. This book surprised me in a number of ways. First, was the lack of relationship angst. It was just so refreshing, I didn’t know how much I needed a break from the traditional third act unnecessary breakup that typical romances have until now.

Secondly, was how immediate I loved these characters. Kate was just so great and relatable, a book lover with sensory issues whose home life is pretty tragic. Her home life hit a little too close to my own childhood and was sometimes a bit hard to read but I think this endeared her to me even more. Lucas was amazing from the very first moment to the absolute end. His home life, while not as crazy as Kates is still rough and he really just needed someone in his corner.

Lastly, I couldn’t predict things like I usually do, this is probably because The Fake Dating Trope didn’t follow the normal romance formula. Now, the only gripe I had was the side characters. Unfortunately, they all seemed really one dimensional. I know that the focus was Kate and Lucas but I felt that they didn’t really add anything to the book.

Overall, a enjoyable sweet young adult romance.