“Fake Skating” by Lynn Painter is a stellar romantic read for teens. The book came out on Sept. 30. It had a perfect blend of childhood friends to teenage frenemies to fake dating tropes, cute and fluffy romance moments, and “on the edge” hockey scenes. The intricate framework of the book was simply spectacular and Painter included much attention to detail. She used very expressive phrases to draw the reader in and keep them hooked.
In the first chapter, one of the main characters, Dani Collins, gets introduced. Collins has curly/wavy blonde hair, brown eyes, and is 5’7. She is very smart and dreams of going to Harvard. She is said to have been very outgoing and witty when she was younger, but more introverted, shy, and anxious as a teenager.
Another main character, Alec Barkzewski, gets introduced. He is 6’5, has brown hair, and brown eyes. Barkzewski is a defenseman for his very elite hockey team, and is looked at constantly by scouts for college scholarships.
Collins and Barkzewski are both described as tall, and multiple times in the book they are called tall by other characters. Many times characters refer to them as conventionally attractive, which some readers find to be an important component in a romance novel.
The story starts with a look into Collins and Barkzewski’s childhoods, quickly switching from the past to present, where Collins is moving to a small town in Minnesota where her mom grew up. Following her parents divorce, Collins has to learn to cope with the emotions of moving all over again, not even sure if her childhood best friend will be there to support her.
We also get a little look into Barkzewski’s life through the first few chapters, his struggles with hockey, friendships, and family. The story later expands more on Barkzewski’s trials with having to look like he has a perfect lifestyle online, hidden injuries, and trying to balance a fake relationship with his former best friend.
As the title suggests, through a series of events with hilarious twists, Barkzewski and Collins end up fake dating. As they navigate their senior year together, we get to experience the life of a hockey player and Harvard hopeful clash through fake romance.
‘Fake Skating’ had clever wordplay, witty remarks, and tension filled silence that really perfected the story’s flow. It was such a fun and easy read that had a flawless blend of hockey and high school romance. There were unexpected turns in a plot that never failed to surprise, and it was a lovely read.
