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The Fine Art of Pretending

(The Fine Art of Pretending #1)

Rachel Harris (Goodreads Author)

3.71 · Rating details · 6,621 ratings · 676 reviews

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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Average rating 3.71 ·

Rating details

· 6,621 ratings · 676 reviews

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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

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Dec 25, 2017 Camila Roy ••RoyIsReading•• rated it liked it

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

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May 25, 2018 lucie rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2018, in-czech

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

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Jan 27, 2014 Hannah rated it it was ok

Shelves: own-arc, own-signed, 2014

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 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 personality, in order to get guys to like her. I know this was to be expected from the description, but I had somehow assumed she was making these changes for herself, rather than for male attention. But... no. The whole thing is about getting guys to like her. Her entire self-worth is based on male perceptions of her, which is problematic in so many ways. When she finds out that the guys at her school have organized girls into two groups - Casuals (girls to hook up with) and Commitments (girls to have relationships with) - she is only concerned with wanting to become a Casual, rather than being outraged at how offensive and objectifying this distinction is. Yes, I understand that Aly isn't supposed to be entirely likeable at the beginning of the novel, since the plot is about her character growth. But this character growth focuses on her learning she is really a Commitment and shouldn't try to be a Casual, rather than dismantling this ridiculous binary. The depiction of femininity within these two groups is highly stereotypical and demeaning to both "categories" of females. It also bothered me how the only way for Aly to become okay with being a Commitment is realizing that this is something guys do like - rather than becoming comfortable with herself regardless of male perceptions of her. The problems with the depiction of gender roles and definitions of femininity in this novel are just endless.

Brandon isn't much better. His views of gender are also highly problematic, but I think my feminist rant has gone on long enough, so I'll talk about my issues with his character, regardless of gender stuff, instead. Honestly, I just don't think his story was strong enough. The main obstacle standing in the way of Aly and Brandon being together, once they've realized they have feelings for each other, is that Brandon believes relationships always end and therefore aren't worth it, which he learned from seeing his mother grieve the death of his father. This idea has a lot of potential, but it isn't developed enough to actually make me feel for him. We never find out anything about his dad, other than that he died, or his mom, other than that she's grieving; they're very, very one-dimensional characters. We also never really get to see Brandon grieve his father, other than making those statements about how he learned that relationships only cause pain. If we had really gotten insight into how grief has affected his family, I could have sympathized with Brandon and understood his reluctance to start a relationship, but because the storyline is so underdeveloped, it seemed kind of contrived and constructed only to have Aly and Brandon face some kind of obstacle.

Most of the secondary characters are just personifications of stereotypes. I really wanted to get to know Aly's girl friends, but the only time they play a role is when Aly needs someone to discuss her guy troubles with; I don't think they ever have a conservation that doesn't revolve around one of their relationships with a guy. All the other characters are just the stereotypical popular high school kids who don't get real personalities. And what is up with all of these one-week relationships everyone is having?? The only other character we get a little bit of insight to is Justin, but his story is oversimplified, too.

I can't really think of a nicer way to put this; I just didn't like this book all that much. There are many books out there who do the friendship-turning-into-romance storyline a lot better than The Fine Art of Pretending does. This story is melodramatic, stereotypical, and highly problematic regarding perceptions of femininity. I just couldn't enjoy it in any way.

Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo... ...more

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Apr 12, 2018 Roobie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, contemporary, 2018-challenge, dual-pov, romance, standalone-in-series

⭐️3.5 stars⭐️

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★

...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Alyssa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-releases

***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

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Oct 06, 2014 Didi rated it really liked it

Shelves: his-pov, i-love-u-love-me-back, romance, young-adult, friends-to-lovers

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 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 this, remember it's YA.

This was very sweet and sometimes angsty, but in a minor way. Alyssa has been friends with Brandon for years, best friends for the last three. She's a nice, smart and cute girl, but always passed over for the sexy and seductive types. She finally decides she's had enough, time to sex up her looks and grab the attention of the most popular guy in school. She wants to be seen as desirable and squash her boring reputation. Enlisting her best friend, Brandon who also happens to be extremely popular in school and with the ladies, they devise a plan to "pretend" they're dating. After all, being on the arm of one of the hottest guys in school could only help her, right?

Can you guess what happens?

I bet you did! Pretend soon becomes reality and the lines between friendship and MORE become blurred. Watching Aly( Alyssa ) temper down her attraction to Brandon was affecting. She'd had a crush on him in the past but convincing herself that he's just a friend was heartbreaking. But it was Brandon who stole the cake in that matter. The boy lived in denial, bathed in it. Everyone around him could see his true feelings but his past mixed with a promise he made to himself just wouldn't allow him to see Aly as more. There were many scenes where you could feel his anguish and suffering jump off the pages. I felt so bad for him but also frustrated because of the utter stupidity and fruitlessness of his actions. The book was sweet and moved along in the first half, but it was the last 50% that bumped up my rating. The feelings and emotions between Aly and Brandon became a live wire and watching them somehow tread through it all completely disarmed me.

I loved the way everything ended, the words Brandon said to Aly, very swoon-worthy! This was a great and realistic portrayal of all the craziness of high school, from the catty girls, to the parties, first love and such intensity of emotion. It was funny that some of these characters saw high school as being the best time of their lives! All I thought was, oh man, if at 17/18, you've reached your peak of good times then you're done for! Just kidding, but really, it's after high school that your life really starts. Be it college, university or just life, that's when things really happen. Maybe because I'm in Canada? Is it different in the U.S?
Anyways, this was a cute, fluffy and sweet story about finally seeing the truth behind your feelings and not being afraid to risk it all for love. ...more

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May 31, 2014 Sophia rated it it was ok

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

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Mar 10, 2014 Allison rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance, contemporary, young-adult, fiction, high-school, confusion, no-sex

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

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Mar 22, 2014 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-books, arc-book-read

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

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Aug 14, 2013 Melissa West rated it it was amazing

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

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Aug 10, 2015 Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, first-in-series, fake-relationship, romance, young-adult, 3-stars, friends-to-lovers, read-in-2015, reviewed

"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

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May 25, 2014 Louisa rated it it was ok

Shelves: wtf-was-that, young-adult, 2015-read, disappointment

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

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May 03, 2014 Cassie Mae marked it as to-read

September???? Give me now!

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Dec 27, 2019 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, ya, romance

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

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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

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Oct 14, 2014 Bookaholic (reads every mortal thing) rated it it was ok

Shelves: sweet, ya-contemporary, dissapointment-2, 2014-read, contemporary

There is nothing worse than wasted potential. No, seriously.

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

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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 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 be the girl all the boys want by changing her style from tomboy to girly and she’s set her sights on the hottest guy at school, Justin. The problem is Aly believes she needs to be noticed and this is where her best friend, Brandon Taylor comes in when she convinces him to be her pretend boyfriend. But, as her and Brandon start their fake relationship it soon becomes harder to work out what’s real or not.

This was the first book I’ve read by author Rachel Harris and I can now officially say I want more from her. It’s impossible not to see her other work around, so it’s definitely something I’m going to be checking out while I wait for more from the The Fine Art of Pretending series.

The Fine Art of Pretending was just the type of read I was looking for. I was reading a New Adult story and wasn’t really in the mood so I’m glad I had this book ready and waiting for me because it really was a fantastic read! I loved how the story was so realistic to so many teenagers nowadays because of how many teenagers try to change who they are to fit in better or in this case to stand out more. The deeper message of the story is, you are who you are, don’t change yourself unless it makes you happy.

The characters of the story are just great. Aly and Brandon have such a deep connection that you can’t help root from them from the start. Even though they have their up’s and down’s during the story, I could completely sympathize with both of them. With Aly making the biggest change and going through a lot to finally discover who she is, I felt a deeper connection to her. But with Brandon’s point of view come different issues and for that I loved him too.

In all, The Fine Art of Pretending is a lovable YA contemporary read that will have you swooning all the way through. Very enjoyable and simply a fantastic summer read!

Thank you to Spencer Hill Contemporary for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jun 18, 2014 Ornella (Nyx) rated it it was ok

Shelves: chick-lit

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.

"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

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Oct 20, 2016 Reign rated it liked it

Shelves: light-fun-reads

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

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Dec 27, 2019 Yoda rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2019, on-the-shelf, romance, kindle

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!

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May 25, 2014 Cindi rated it it was amazing

Great YA story about figuring out who you are, with lots of laughs & swoony moments along the way. This book gave me all the feels & at the end of it, I was left with a giant smile on my face.

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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

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Mar 20, 2019 Antonella rated it liked it

Shelves: fav-ya

read this a while back
typical YA book
pretty cover

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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

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Jan 16, 2015 Christine Alibutud rated it really liked it

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

description

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 why I still can't get tired of it. I really enjoyed this book, although not enough to give it 5 stars, but it was still nice nonetheless.

"I was so scared that admitting it would ruin everything. That I’d scare you away or lose your friendship, and you’re too important to let that happen."

I've always been a fan of bestfriends-turned-lovers, and I guess I'll always will be. I find a relationship that was based and founded on a good friendship a very stable one. Of course, Aly and Brandon made sure to give me that swoon-ified feeling! I don't exactly have a guy bestfriend I'm secretly in love with, but I somehow know the feeling of what it's like to not have the courage to say what you really feel about someone. It's just nice to relate, even with a fictional character.

description

Also, I think I have found my life-long mantra in this book:

"When in doubt, pig out. That’s my motto."

This one is definitely perfect if you just want a light read with not too much drama! Super sweet and enough to give me good vibes! Can't wait for the next installment!

3.5/4 stars!

"Loving someone, being loved...It’s worth the pain of losing them."

description

...more

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Sep 15, 2014 Erin rated it did not like it

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 . . .

photo tumblr_mimvdrcDYB1rwvm25o1_500_zps62578693.gif

. . . 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.

photo tumblr_inline_na194bHart1rk74mh_zps40aadbdc.gif

And then there's that mai ...more

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Aug 26, 2018 Siobhan Davis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-my-kindle, bought, contemporary-ya

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

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Oct 14, 2013 Jaime Arkin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014, read-in-2014, ya, on-my-real-shelves, contemporary, friends-to-more, 2014-real-book-challenge, spencer-hill

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 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… everything is going according to plan… until it’s not just her pretend relationship in the crapper, but her friendship as well.

I thought this was a really cute read! It was at the top of my list to grab when I got to BEA this year and I’m glad I snagged it! Plus… that cover!!! ADORABLE!

I’m a huge fan of Rachel Harris – I love the characters she creates and the cast in The Fine Art of Pretending are wonderfully done. I felt that both Aly and Brandon were, for the most part, well developed (more on that coming) and I really enjoyed getting to know them!

Friends to more is one of my favorite tropes around and so I had really high expectations for this and I will say that I definitely enjoyed this, even though it probably wouldn’t fall into my absolute favorite for that type of story.

First, there was really only one thing that didn’t work well for me… the story sort of dragged in certain points for me. I felt the first part of the story was a bit slow and filled with a lot of drama that really just slowed the story down for me , but was happy once the pacing picked up a bit towards the middle.

That said, I really felt that Harris absolutely captured the mind of a teen in this one with Aly. She felt authentic throughout and her struggles with the opposite sex were realistic and something I could identify with to some extent.

The theme here… of being true to yourself , is definitely something I think that all of us can identify with and something that is definitely something that teen girls struggle with all the time. While this story isn’t incredibly deep, I thought it was the perfect amount of light hearted contemporary with a bit of a message.

If you’re in the mood for a sweet high school romantic comedy, definitely look no further. The Fine Art of Pretending will provide you with just the right amount of humor and swoon, and characters that you can’t help but cheer for.

Thanks to Spencer Hill Press for giving this one away at BEA!!
...more

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Jan 27, 2014 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, romance, friendship, arc, bea14, summer

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 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 school. She's tired of always being the friend. How to pull this off? She dubs it Operation Sex Appeal. Her best friend Kara is all too excited to give her and her athletic clothes ridden wardrobe a makeover but Aly doesn't tell her and her other best friend Gabi the real secret: she's going to have Justin Carter be her date to homecoming. And the countdown starts now. She recruits her best friend Brandon to be her pretend boyfriend so people will notice the change.

Now, I adore relationships that come from a best friend friendship so I was already super excited to dive in. I was immediately hooked. Aly is easy to like and I loved seeing her journey of discovering her identity. Her character growth was just the best, especially to see how she gained confidence in being herself. Brandon was an important part of being there for her and having her not feel awkward and their friendship is just adorable. However, the lines of their friendship are blurring and as you read their interactions you just ship them together so badly!

I love that even with a relatively simple plot of a pretend relationship, Rachel builds off this with such complexity in her characters. Brandon especially is a lot more complicated that you would expect. She tackles concepts of love, loss and taking chances all so seamlessly. She gives her characters a depth that make you feel like you know them. The things they experience, you feel like you're experiencing. This definitely took me back to high school! (I almost missed it?) Even the secondary characters are well developed and I wanted them to by MY friends.

In Short:

There are sweet moments and funny moments, even moments that will make you tear up. But you will be smiling through this as you read because I know I was! This book was just SO good. You'll cheer for Aly as she comes into her own and also fall irrevocably in love with Brandon. :) ...more

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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

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About Rachel Harris

Rachel Harris

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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.” — 19 likes

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