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An “it” couple’s breakup becomes a sporting event in a deliciously charming novel about the games people play in the name of love. First, math genius and gamer-nerd Samaya gets dumped by her boyfriend. Then he sabotages her job and hooks up with her frenemy. What could be worse? Clearly, her golden-boy ex is winning the breakup. The only way Samaya can get some rebound cred is to find someone new. Even if she has to fake it. At a volunteer bake sale, Samaya meets a sweet opportunity. Daniel is a handsome hockey jock and a whiz when it comes to lemon squares and brownies. And he agrees to play along. Quid pro quo. He’ll pretend to be the boyfriend of her dreams if Samaya helps him pass calculus. This may well be the recipe for the best revenge, but Samaya has no idea how complicated it will get. As they whip up an imitation romance, and a bumbleberry pie, resisting each other’s very real charms proves impossible. Samaya finds herself on an unexpected journey of secrets, self-discovery, and the true meaning of moving on.
Publication Year: 2023
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This book was so stinking cute, but also pretty emotional at times. I really had a good time with this. I didn’t normally go for books about teens, but this one was surprisingly good.
Samaya and Devin were the “it” couple at school and had been dating for 2 years. But then he unexpectedly dumped her and left her reeling. She didn’t know who she was anymore and spent the summer playing online games with someone who helped her get through it all. Fast forward a couple months and it’s the first day of school and Samaya finds herself in need of a fake boyfriend, since Devin has found himself a new girlfriend. And in order to “win” the break up, she needs to be doing better than him. And that’s where Daniel comes into the picture. But things with Daniel get complicated and she ends up liking him more than she thought she would.
This was a very cute fake dating romance that will make your heart all gooey. I loved the representation of often underrepresented characters in books like this. So that was a bonus. 4 solid stars. And I’m definitely on the lookout for more from this author.