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The Fine Art of Pretending
(The Fine Art of Pretending #1)
by
According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield
...more
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Paperback, 256 pages
Published
September 30th 2014
by Spencer Hill Contemporary
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Start your review of The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending, #1)

Mar 27, 2013
Rachel Harris
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
Shelves:
i-wrote-it-so-biased-but-love-this
So yes, I'm the author, so again I'm totally biased. But I love this book :) It was my first book baby, it is filled with all the things I love (heart, laughter, romance, friendship, finding yourself), AND it's my first dual character POV book to be published. Can't wait for you to meet Aly and Brandon!
...more

RATING: 3/5
This was a cute, fun read. I’m a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope. Can’t get enough of it! Rachel Harris did a good job at keeping me hooked, I liked her writing style and the overall dynamics of the story. However, I did feel like it dragged on and went a little overboard with the angst...Hence, the 3 star rating.
I’m a hopeless romantic, so any contemporary romance is right up my alley. If you’re like me, then I guarantee you’ll enjoy this. It´s something cute and fluffy to br ...more
This was a cute, fun read. I’m a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope. Can’t get enough of it! Rachel Harris did a good job at keeping me hooked, I liked her writing style and the overall dynamics of the story. However, I did feel like it dragged on and went a little overboard with the angst...Hence, the 3 star rating.
I’m a hopeless romantic, so any contemporary romance is right up my alley. If you’re like me, then I guarantee you’ll enjoy this. It´s something cute and fluffy to br ...more

The writing was horrible, the characters didn't act like high schoolers, lame dialogues, a lot of bad cliches, overdramatic. I don't even know why I forced myself to finish this..
My 12yo self would probably like it, though. ...more
My 12yo self would probably like it, though. ...more

The cover of The Fine Art of Pretending is adorable, and when they're well done, this type of story can be really cute. Sadly, The Fine Art of Pretending doesn't belong in the "well done" category, in my opinion - the characters are frustrating, and the plot drags on with unnecessary drama about nothing. The Fine Art of Pretending just didn't work for me.
Aly rubbed me the wrong way from the first page on, since the novel starts with her plan to give herself a total makeover of appearance and per ...more
Aly rubbed me the wrong way from the first page on, since the novel starts with her plan to give herself a total makeover of appearance and per ...more

⭐️3.5 stars⭐️
Well that was adorable. I wanted to throw some slaps a few times but I can't really resist friends to lovers stories so I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
★Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book★
...more
If I don't tell her how I feel, we'll stay friends. I can handle that. Friendship is real. It lasts, and it's safe.
Well that was adorable. I wanted to throw some slaps a few times but I can't really resist friends to lovers stories so I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
★Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book★


***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris
Book One of The Fine Art of Pretending series
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Official Summary:
According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to cha ...more
The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris
Book One of The Fine Art of Pretending series
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
Official Summary:
According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to cha ...more

3.5 STARS
I love friends to lovers stories, whether it be an adult or YA version. This is being touted as NA...not likely. The characters in this book were 17, in their last year of high school, and quite innocent. Well, the heroine at least. There was physicality in the form of kisses and make out sessions, and although other people were having sex, our main characters weren't. The drama, over-angst and adult situations found in NA were obviously non-existent so if you're thinking of reading thi ...more
I love friends to lovers stories, whether it be an adult or YA version. This is being touted as NA...not likely. The characters in this book were 17, in their last year of high school, and quite innocent. Well, the heroine at least. There was physicality in the form of kisses and make out sessions, and although other people were having sex, our main characters weren't. The drama, over-angst and adult situations found in NA were obviously non-existent so if you're thinking of reading thi ...more

aw jeez. this book started out, legitimately, as a 1 star book. but it got better! (a little)
here's the realio dealio: this book reads like kind of bad fanfiction. it's addicting and entertaining and frustrating, but also poorly written and chock full of stereotypes and shallow characters.
on the bright side, i thought alyssa's two best friends were excellent friends. they started off very one-dimensional, but by the end, i thought they were the highlight of the book. ...more
here's the realio dealio: this book reads like kind of bad fanfiction. it's addicting and entertaining and frustrating, but also poorly written and chock full of stereotypes and shallow characters.
on the bright side, i thought alyssa's two best friends were excellent friends. they started off very one-dimensional, but by the end, i thought they were the highlight of the book. ...more

This book really peeved me. Is that a word? "Peeved?" Oh well, I'm using it. My main issue with it was that it didn't do a very good job of delivering its message. AT ALL.
Honestly, we've all read this book or seen this movie before. The mousy, tomboy wants boys to start paying her attention so she has a makeover and changes everything about herself to get attention. The platonic, male best friend agrees to be her pretend boyfriend in order to further the charade. They fall in love.
The problem ...more
Honestly, we've all read this book or seen this movie before. The mousy, tomboy wants boys to start paying her attention so she has a makeover and changes everything about herself to get attention. The platonic, male best friend agrees to be her pretend boyfriend in order to further the charade. They fall in love.
The problem ...more

4.5 Stars
I knew from the moment I opened the first page and read it that Aly and I were going to be great friends. I love when a first chapter, a first page, can capture me right away and I feel that instant connection with a character. It is so rare when it happens, which makes it all the better and memorable when it does.
I wasn't wrong about that first page either. As Aly's tale unfolded I grew to love her and Brandon more and more. There is just something that is so hard for me to resist when ...more
I knew from the moment I opened the first page and read it that Aly and I were going to be great friends. I love when a first chapter, a first page, can capture me right away and I feel that instant connection with a character. It is so rare when it happens, which makes it all the better and memorable when it does.
I wasn't wrong about that first page either. As Aly's tale unfolded I grew to love her and Brandon more and more. There is just something that is so hard for me to resist when ...more

Okay, so officially this is what I said about this amazing book:
Prepare your heartstrings, THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING will make you laugh, cry, and swoon in the best possible ways! My favorite contemporary of the year!
But this book is so much more than those two sentences. I don't want to give too much away, but do you know those romantic comedies that you love so much that you watch them EVERY SINGLE TIME they come on TV? The ones that make you smile from beginning to end? The ones that remin ...more
Prepare your heartstrings, THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING will make you laugh, cry, and swoon in the best possible ways! My favorite contemporary of the year!
But this book is so much more than those two sentences. I don't want to give too much away, but do you know those romantic comedies that you love so much that you watch them EVERY SINGLE TIME they come on TV? The ones that make you smile from beginning to end? The ones that remin ...more

"You can’t break up what was never together. But my heart didn’t get that memo."

"Loving someone, being loved...It’s worth the pain of losing them."
Oh wow, I just have to words for this book: plain adorable!
I actually liked it more than I thought I would. Though it's not the best I've read, it was still worth the time it took to read it and I liked the characters :)
"The cute and funny girl who's just friends with all the popular guys is gone."
Rate: 3.5 stars.
...more

Because girls can only attract boys' attention by dressing more scantily and "femininely"... and boys will only notice you as a girl if you do so (or at least give you a chance if you're a "Casual" and not a "Commitment"). No thanks.
I appreciate the turn the book took in the last quarter, but it felt like the author realised just how disastrous a message she was sending with the rest of the story and decided to try to salvage it. Nope, didn't work. ...more
I appreciate the turn the book took in the last quarter, but it felt like the author realised just how disastrous a message she was sending with the rest of the story and decided to try to salvage it. Nope, didn't work. ...more

May 03, 2014
Cassie Mae
marked it as to-read
September???? Give me now!

It's a known fact that I am trash for friends-to-more romances, and I was delighted with the way Harris used that trope in THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING.
Aly was a cute and sporty young woman, who wanted to be noticed and wanted to be, well, wanted. She hoped that she would finally have a "real" date for the annual homecoming dance. No more friend-dates. No more pity-dates. Her goal was to attract a guy via her Operation Sex Appeal make-over, but when she threw in some fake dating, things got compl ...more
Aly was a cute and sporty young woman, who wanted to be noticed and wanted to be, well, wanted. She hoped that she would finally have a "real" date for the annual homecoming dance. No more friend-dates. No more pity-dates. Her goal was to attract a guy via her Operation Sex Appeal make-over, but when she threw in some fake dating, things got compl ...more

Dec 03, 2014
Marie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2015,
light-read,
owned-kindle,
favorites-stand-alone,
i-recommend,
swoonfest,
to-buy,
2020,
book-boyfriend
2nd read: 01/11/2020
Before I start this review, let me just say that I have “book amnesia”. I can barely remember books I read years ago even when I absolutely loved it. Honestly, what leaves a lasting impression on me is not the plot but the way a book made me feel.
The Fine Art of Pretending was one of the books that had the honor to be included in my favorites (stand-alone) shelf but I couldn’t even remember any of it. All I know is that it was sweet and fluffy and I absolutely loved it. So ...more
Before I start this review, let me just say that I have “book amnesia”. I can barely remember books I read years ago even when I absolutely loved it. Honestly, what leaves a lasting impression on me is not the plot but the way a book made me feel.
The Fine Art of Pretending was one of the books that had the honor to be included in my favorites (stand-alone) shelf but I couldn’t even remember any of it. All I know is that it was sweet and fluffy and I absolutely loved it. So ...more

There is nothing worse than wasted potential. No, seriously.
Such an interesting concept!
Its so cool. But unfortun ...more
Such an interesting concept!
A girl who prefers baggy clothes wants to reinvent herself and become the next 'It-Girl' of her high school. She takes the help of her best friend, Brandon, who she ropes in to take the place as her pretend boyfriend, to snag the ultimate goal: The hottest boy in school, Justin. But then feelings butt in and what was a purely platonic friendship turns into something more
Its so cool. But unfortun ...more

Apr 20, 2014
Donna {Book Passion For Life}
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
ya-contemporary-romance,
for-review
Super cute and adorable, The Fine Art of Pretending is a read that will capture your heart and leave you wanting more from Rachel Harris.
Alyssa ‘Aly’ Reed has always been the friend to all the guys at Fairfield Academy. She’s never the one who is asked out on dates or has the boys swooning over her and she believes that’s down to her tom boy style. She loves sports, she’s competitive and she never wears make up. But that’s about to change. Aly is determined that for her senior year that she will ...more
Alyssa ‘Aly’ Reed has always been the friend to all the guys at Fairfield Academy. She’s never the one who is asked out on dates or has the boys swooning over her and she believes that’s down to her tom boy style. She loves sports, she’s competitive and she never wears make up. But that’s about to change. Aly is determined that for her senior year that she will ...more

I was ready to adore this book and be a gushy mess by the end. Instead I was just proud of myself for finishing it cause I've been in a slump and this wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.
My main problem comes in the form of me not being to relate to like anything in this book.
I mind boggled too. Throughout the whole damn book. I didn't understand her NEED to have a guy. Even at the end, yes she gets over the makeover thing, bu ...more
My main problem comes in the form of me not being to relate to like anything in this book.
"Gabi’s comfortable being on her own—a concept that boggles my mind."
I mind boggled too. Throughout the whole damn book. I didn't understand her NEED to have a guy. Even at the end, yes she gets over the makeover thing, bu ...more

3.5 stars
The heroine decided a makeover to make her notice guys? Her male bestfriend noticed and agreed to pretend that they're couple as part of her 'Operation Sex Appeal'? They enjoy the pretend and it eventually made the guy confused because he vowed never to fall in love? They decided to end the pretend before it gets worse and the girl moves on to the most popular guy (the bestfriend is only the second hottest) in her school? They girl misses the boy until eventually they get back togethe ...more
The heroine decided a makeover to make her notice guys? Her male bestfriend noticed and agreed to pretend that they're couple as part of her 'Operation Sex Appeal'? They enjoy the pretend and it eventually made the guy confused because he vowed never to fall in love? They decided to end the pretend before it gets worse and the girl moves on to the most popular guy (the bestfriend is only the second hottest) in her school? They girl misses the boy until eventually they get back togethe ...more

My guilty pleasure when I´m in a book slump are easy, entertaining, fluffy YA. The kind of books I don´t actually expect to love and I usually forget them seconds after reading. I read it two days ago and for the life of me I cannot tell you the names of the main characters. But that is why I love it!

Jan 21, 2014
Debby
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
covergasm,
bea-2014,
for-review,
stand-alone,
reviewed,
own-read,
met-the-author,
2014-reads
4 stars
The Fine Art of Pretending was one of the top books on my wishlist for BEA, because with that spectacular premise which contained so many of the things I absolutely love in a contemporary romance and that adorable cover, I knew it would be the right kind of fluffy for me. And I was not disappointed.
The Fine Art of Pretending was for me one of those books that just found me at exactly the right time. For all its entertainment value, this book does not carry a majorly significant meaningful ...more
The Fine Art of Pretending was one of the top books on my wishlist for BEA, because with that spectacular premise which contained so many of the things I absolutely love in a contemporary romance and that adorable cover, I knew it would be the right kind of fluffy for me. And I was not disappointed.
The Fine Art of Pretending was for me one of those books that just found me at exactly the right time. For all its entertainment value, this book does not carry a majorly significant meaningful ...more

Jul 22, 2014
Jessica *The Lovely Books*
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
blogger,
contemporary,
first-reads,
favorites,
one-of-a-kind,
funnnnny,
in-love,
review,
kick-ass-heroines,
spencer-hill
"The cute and funny girl who's just friends with all the popular guys is gone."
What can I say about The Fine Art of Pretending? Oh, just that it's the single, most cutest story ever. To say I've been waiting to read this would be a HUGE understatement. I remember when I first realized the book wouldn't be coming out for months. MONTHS! I was crushed. Then I started stalking...no that word's too scary...um, I started following all of Rachel's pages just to see when the ARCs would be going out. I ...more
What can I say about The Fine Art of Pretending? Oh, just that it's the single, most cutest story ever. To say I've been waiting to read this would be a HUGE understatement. I remember when I first realized the book wouldn't be coming out for months. MONTHS! I was crushed. Then I started stalking...no that word's too scary...um, I started following all of Rachel's pages just to see when the ARCs would be going out. I ...more

"You can’t break up what was never together. But my heart didn’t get that memo."

I've been delaying this book for almost two months now, and I made no plans on reading it, especially because I forgot to put it in mind. Fortunately, my friend persuaded me to read this one since she found it absolutely sweet and swoon-worthy. Thus, I decided to try it and I must say: what a cute and quick read by Rachel Harris! I'm not a newbie with these kinds of concepts and stories, but I don't know ...more

Okay at the beginning I thought . . .
And . . . I was totally okay with that because I was in the mood for some teeny book romance. But after having read and finished the book, I have to say that I should have known that I wouldn't like this book and I should have walked away when I had the chance to . . .
. . . but I finished it and that's that.
But again, I DID NOT like this book whatsoever. In fact, I didn't like anything about it, which shocks me the most.
And then there's that mai ...more

And . . . I was totally okay with that because I was in the mood for some teeny book romance. But after having read and finished the book, I have to say that I should have known that I wouldn't like this book and I should have walked away when I had the chance to . . .

. . . but I finished it and that's that.
But again, I DID NOT like this book whatsoever. In fact, I didn't like anything about it, which shocks me the most.

And then there's that mai ...more

This was so adorable. Loved, loved, loved Brandon. And Aly's journey to self-discovery was one that kept me engaged the whole way through. I was totally rooting for our couple! Gabi and Carlos are my favorite secondary characters and I'd love to see them get their HEA. Drew and Sarah intrigued me too, and there's a lot more to Justin Carter then we've seen. A great cast of characters, superb writing, and plenty of chemistry to keep me hooked.
A fun, flirty, feel good read and one I highly recomme ...more
A fun, flirty, feel good read and one I highly recomme ...more

There are only two types of girls at Fairfield Academy… The kind you’re friends with and the kind you hook up with. It just so happens that Alyssa continuously falls into the friend category… just ask her best friend Brandon Taylor.
Aly is determined to jump categories and hook Fairfield's most notorious player – Justin Carter. He’d be the perfect date to take to homecoming. With just 57 days to turn from tomboy to sexy senior she turns to Brandon to help her by pretending to date her… everythin ...more
Aly is determined to jump categories and hook Fairfield's most notorious player – Justin Carter. He’d be the perfect date to take to homecoming. With just 57 days to turn from tomboy to sexy senior she turns to Brandon to help her by pretending to date her… everythin ...more

Immediate Reaction: Is it bad that I'm now in love with a 17 year old? I loved this book!!
Review: Originally posted on www.book-scents.com
How does Rachel Harris do it? How?? She captures the teen voice so well! She also has a writing style that just sweeps you up into the story with descriptions that just make you feel like you are in the book and wholly invested in the characters!
In The Fine Art of Pretending Alyssa (better known as Aly) has decided she needs a completely different image at sc ...more
Review: Originally posted on www.book-scents.com
How does Rachel Harris do it? How?? She captures the teen voice so well! She also has a writing style that just sweeps you up into the story with descriptions that just make you feel like you are in the book and wholly invested in the characters!
In The Fine Art of Pretending Alyssa (better known as Aly) has decided she needs a completely different image at sc ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Fine Art Of Pretending, by Rachel Harris. START DATE: July 15, 2016 | 13 | 11 | Jul 19, 2016 01:07PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending #1) by Rachel Harris ---> Starting May 9th, 2015 | 1 | 6 | May 05, 2015 04:08PM | |
Young Adult Conte...: #52 The Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris | 10 | 18 | Jan 04, 2015 10:16AM |
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books...and kissing. Lots of kissing. Rachel's books have been featured in USA Today and Glitter Magazine, and her stories have been finalists in the National Reader
...more
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“Boys are gonna come, and boys are gonna go. Unfortunately, some friends may even do the same. But dessert, ya'll will never let you down.”
—
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“You can't break up what was never together. But my heart didn't get that memo.”
—
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