Fake Skating

Lynn Painter

Hardcover

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A 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 rom-com 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 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.

Book Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: Sep 30th, 2025
Pages: 448
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.48in - 5.82in - 1.49in - 1.11lb
EAN: 9781665921268
Recommended age: 13-17
Categories: • Romance - Romantic Comedy• Social Themes - Friendship• Sports & Recreation - Hockey

About the Author

Painter, Lynn: - 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, and Fake Skating. 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.

Praise for this book

When star hockey player Alec Barczewski's estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.

Following her parents' divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani's hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard's waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec--whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media--is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They'll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he'll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard's admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.

A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.--Kirkus "September 1st Issue"

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"

Following her parents' messy divorce, high school senior Dani Collins finds herself moving back to Minnesota with her mother. Despite the emotionally tumultuous reasons for returning to Southview, Dani is optimistic about the change. Maybe she'll finally get answers about why her childhood sweetheart Alec mysteriously ghosted her. Alec, meanwhile, is too focused on maintaining his image as the star of the high school hockey team to be distracted by Dani, whom he believes broke his heart several summers ago. With the tender reunion Dani envisioned a bust, she's more than happy to take Alec's lead, acting like strangers at school--until a misunderstanding forces them into each other's orbit. Alec proposes a deal: he and Dani will fake-date to endear himself to--and restore his reputation with--NHL scouts, who view Alec as a troublesome party boy. In exchange, Alec will vouch for Dani's placement as the hockey team's manager to help be accepted to Harvard. In this breezy rom-com, Painter (Nothing Like the Movies) crafts a tangible feeling world in which the relationship stakes are never too high, and the white-cued characters' chemistry is magnetic, ensuring a satisfying read for romance lovers. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary. (Sept.)--Publishers Weekly "6/16/2025"