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Incriminating Dating
Opinionated, unconventional Ayla Hawkins isn’t the type to use blackmail, but sometimes a girl has to stand up for what’s right. So when she catches Mr. Perfect Luke Pressler doing something decidedly un-perfect, Ayla’s got the dirt she needs to get Luke on her side—in the form of her new fake boyfriend.
One mistake. All Luke wanted was a night to goof off, to blow off steam. The next thing he knew, he was pretending to date Ayla Hawkins. But his little blackmailer turns out to be kind. Honorable. And just the breath of fresh air he didn’t even realize he was suffocating for. But Luke and Ayla come from different worlds, and once the terms of their agreement end, their fauxmance will, too.
This Entangled Teen Crush book features adult language, sexual situations, and plenty of girl power. Reading may result in swooning, laughing, and looking for a Luke of your own.
One mistake. All Luke wanted was a night to goof off, to blow off steam. The next thing he knew, he was pretending to date Ayla Hawkins. But his little blackmailer turns out to be kind. Honorable. And just the breath of fresh air he didn’t even realize he was suffocating for. But Luke and Ayla come from different worlds, and once the terms of their agreement end, their fauxmance will, too.
This Entangled Teen Crush book features adult language, sexual situations, and plenty of girl power. Reading may result in swooning, laughing, and looking for a Luke of your own.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2017
51 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Rebekah L. Purdy
20 books499 followersI was born and raised in Michigan (just look for the giant mitten on the map—it’ll likely throw a snowball at you). I spent most of my time in Michigan, but while in the army got to call KS, SC, MO, and CA home for awhile as well.
As a kid my family moved around a lot. Try spending both your freshman and senior years at new schools (yeah, loads of fun). I could’ve changed my name to “new girl”.
I love writing for teens because those are the years I remember falling in love with most of my favorite books. Some of the authors I couldn’t put down were L.J. Smith, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Joan Lowery Nixon, Lois Duncan, amongst several others.
My husband and I have a large family. There are six kids total! So we have LOTS of fun on vacations (although hours on the road, cooped up in the Expedition is kind of stressful—although we pass the time with MAD LIBS and hoping no one gets carsick).
Some fun facts about me:
My first real crush was on Luke Skywalker (LOL—hey, I was like 8 years old and it came out before I was born).
I’m obsessed with several TV shows/Movies: The Vampire Diaries, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sean of the Dead, The Sing Off, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, True Blood, Being Human, Fact or Fake, and all the cake designing ones! Oh and all the spoof movies!
I still own all the books I bought as a kid/teen.
I have a hankering for chocolate (like all the time, seriously. If my arm was made of it I’d chew it off).
Celebrity crushes: Johnny Depp (woohoo), Taylor Lautner (okay, I know he’s kind of young for me), Ian Somerhalder (ooh, he’s just right. We’re the same age). Wow, this was like a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears moment. Johnny Depp too old, Taylor Lautner too young, Ian Somerhalder—JUST RIGHT.
In my spare time I like to write (obviously), read, sing, hang out with my kids, play with my animals, camp, play soccer, check my email (hehehe), watch football (go LIONS). I also love hanging out with my sister and hubby!
Look forward to chatting with everyone! And if you’re lucky, I’ll break out the opera voice and chase you around singing!
As a kid my family moved around a lot. Try spending both your freshman and senior years at new schools (yeah, loads of fun). I could’ve changed my name to “new girl”.
I love writing for teens because those are the years I remember falling in love with most of my favorite books. Some of the authors I couldn’t put down were L.J. Smith, Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Richie Tankersley Cusick, Joan Lowery Nixon, Lois Duncan, amongst several others.
My husband and I have a large family. There are six kids total! So we have LOTS of fun on vacations (although hours on the road, cooped up in the Expedition is kind of stressful—although we pass the time with MAD LIBS and hoping no one gets carsick).
Some fun facts about me:
My first real crush was on Luke Skywalker (LOL—hey, I was like 8 years old and it came out before I was born).
I’m obsessed with several TV shows/Movies: The Vampire Diaries, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Sean of the Dead, The Sing Off, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, True Blood, Being Human, Fact or Fake, and all the cake designing ones! Oh and all the spoof movies!
I still own all the books I bought as a kid/teen.
I have a hankering for chocolate (like all the time, seriously. If my arm was made of it I’d chew it off).
Celebrity crushes: Johnny Depp (woohoo), Taylor Lautner (okay, I know he’s kind of young for me), Ian Somerhalder (ooh, he’s just right. We’re the same age). Wow, this was like a Goldie Locks and the Three Bears moment. Johnny Depp too old, Taylor Lautner too young, Ian Somerhalder—JUST RIGHT.
In my spare time I like to write (obviously), read, sing, hang out with my kids, play with my animals, camp, play soccer, check my email (hehehe), watch football (go LIONS). I also love hanging out with my sister and hubby!
Look forward to chatting with everyone! And if you’re lucky, I’ll break out the opera voice and chase you around singing!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 24, 2017
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley.)
This was a YA contemporary romance, featuring a fake boyfriend/girlfriend situation.
I liked both Ayla and Luke in this story, and I liked how Ayla stood up for what she believed, in even when she looked silly doing it. I also thought that Luke was a real sweetheart to help Ayla the way he did, even when she was blackmailing him!
The storyline in this was about Ayla blackmailing Luke into being her pretend boyfriend to help her win a school election. I wasn’t sure about the book at first, but Ayla and Luke really grew on me, and I totally fell in love with them as a couple.
The ending to this was pretty good, and I was happy with the way things turned out.
7 out of 10
“This might be a fake relationship, but it was beginning to feel pretty real to me. The problem was, what would happen once the election was over?”
This was a YA contemporary romance, featuring a fake boyfriend/girlfriend situation.
I liked both Ayla and Luke in this story, and I liked how Ayla stood up for what she believed, in even when she looked silly doing it. I also thought that Luke was a real sweetheart to help Ayla the way he did, even when she was blackmailing him!
“I was falling for Ayla Hawkins, and I had no idea what to do about it.”
The storyline in this was about Ayla blackmailing Luke into being her pretend boyfriend to help her win a school election. I wasn’t sure about the book at first, but Ayla and Luke really grew on me, and I totally fell in love with them as a couple.
“His girl? Suddenly my legs got all rubbery beneath me. Why did the sound of that make me so happy?”
The ending to this was pretty good, and I was happy with the way things turned out.
7 out of 10
August 18, 2017
***** 3.5 stars
Its a fast read novel, I liked that it switched between Lukes and Aylas point of view without repeating everything that happened twice.
I enjoyed this book but it's not something I will remember in a year. Plot had a nice flow and I read it in a couple of hours so its a fast read. Perfect for summer/vacation.
Its a fast read novel, I liked that it switched between Lukes and Aylas point of view without repeating everything that happened twice.
I enjoyed this book but it's not something I will remember in a year. Plot had a nice flow and I read it in a couple of hours so its a fast read. Perfect for summer/vacation.
April 14, 2017
Ayla always stands up for the people who need it. She genuinely cares about fellow students, important issues and school clubs for everyone. She wants her voice to be heard, which is why she's in the running to become Senior Class President. Her opponent fights dirty, so Ayla needs a little extra popularity on her side. When she catches a few basketball stars doing something they shouldn't have done, she uses it to her advantage and blackmails one of them, Luke.
Luke knows he's done something risky and stupid, just to feel free for a while. Being caught could cost him his entire future. He hopes that nobody has witnessed the incident, but when Ayla approaches Luke to tell him what she saw, he realizes she has a lot of power over him. Luke has to date her to make her more popular. That way she will reach more people and can give all the students at school a voice, not just the jocks and cheerleaders. Luke reluctantly agrees. Ayla isn't the type of girl he usually dates, but when he gets to know her better he finds out he likes her a lot. She might have blackmailed him, but she doesn't make demands and is actually really nice to him. Luke doesn't have any trouble to make his fake relationship believable. Will Ayla get what she wants and will Luke's scholarship stay safe? Will they come out unscathed or will both Luke and Ayla end up with a broken heart?
Incriminating Dating is a great story about two teenagers from very different backgrounds who have much more in common than they initially thought. Luke's life is all about pretending and with Ayla he can be himself. That was endearing to see. His home situation is difficult and reading about his crazy schedule brought tears to my eyes. Ayla's much happier at home than Luke, but at school she doesn't have such a good time. She has a wonderful best friend, but she's being bullied and censored. I loved how strong she is. She stands up for herself and for others and she shows her bravery over and over again. She's honest and she doesn't hide behind an image, what you see is what you get. I immediately loved her. She's fun, enjoys the good things in life and she's smart and creative. At first it seems like they're opposites, but when she gets to know the real Luke, the way he is outside school, things change. She's actually perfect for him. Luke is caring and sweet. He's responsible and works hard. He has quite a few problems, but is always there for his little brother and Ayla takes some of the weight off his shoulders. Luke actually cares about her campaign and does everything he can to help. Those things were both amazing to witness. Luke and Ayla are beautiful people inside and out and it's what I liked the most about their story.
Rebekah L. Purdy writes about keeping up appearances, struggling, having too much responsibility and bullying in a fabulous empathic way. Ayla is Luke's rock and Luke gives Ayla confidence, which is something precious. Their connection is genuine and very special. At first their conversations are uneasy, but soon they find out they can talk about anything and I loved how Rebekah L. Purdy handles this transition. She's written a terrific meaningful romantic story with plenty of depth.
Luke knows he's done something risky and stupid, just to feel free for a while. Being caught could cost him his entire future. He hopes that nobody has witnessed the incident, but when Ayla approaches Luke to tell him what she saw, he realizes she has a lot of power over him. Luke has to date her to make her more popular. That way she will reach more people and can give all the students at school a voice, not just the jocks and cheerleaders. Luke reluctantly agrees. Ayla isn't the type of girl he usually dates, but when he gets to know her better he finds out he likes her a lot. She might have blackmailed him, but she doesn't make demands and is actually really nice to him. Luke doesn't have any trouble to make his fake relationship believable. Will Ayla get what she wants and will Luke's scholarship stay safe? Will they come out unscathed or will both Luke and Ayla end up with a broken heart?
Incriminating Dating is a great story about two teenagers from very different backgrounds who have much more in common than they initially thought. Luke's life is all about pretending and with Ayla he can be himself. That was endearing to see. His home situation is difficult and reading about his crazy schedule brought tears to my eyes. Ayla's much happier at home than Luke, but at school she doesn't have such a good time. She has a wonderful best friend, but she's being bullied and censored. I loved how strong she is. She stands up for herself and for others and she shows her bravery over and over again. She's honest and she doesn't hide behind an image, what you see is what you get. I immediately loved her. She's fun, enjoys the good things in life and she's smart and creative. At first it seems like they're opposites, but when she gets to know the real Luke, the way he is outside school, things change. She's actually perfect for him. Luke is caring and sweet. He's responsible and works hard. He has quite a few problems, but is always there for his little brother and Ayla takes some of the weight off his shoulders. Luke actually cares about her campaign and does everything he can to help. Those things were both amazing to witness. Luke and Ayla are beautiful people inside and out and it's what I liked the most about their story.
Rebekah L. Purdy writes about keeping up appearances, struggling, having too much responsibility and bullying in a fabulous empathic way. Ayla is Luke's rock and Luke gives Ayla confidence, which is something precious. Their connection is genuine and very special. At first their conversations are uneasy, but soon they find out they can talk about anything and I loved how Rebekah L. Purdy handles this transition. She's written a terrific meaningful romantic story with plenty of depth.
June 5, 2017
I mean there was quite a bit repetition of sentences and it was a bit cheesy but I still liked it!
April 11, 2017
I am impressed at how much I enjoyed this!!! If you are looking for the perfect summer contemporary then look no further. This delicious read is all kinds of fun.
If you want a fast fun and overall great read then do your self a favor and pick this book up.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book
I love comtemporaries that deal with real life problems and this book dealt with lots of issues that are think are relevant and real today. I love that our main character accepts who she is and doens't try to change that, but she still struggles like any other teen out there. Our main guy has a terrible home life and I felt for him so much.
The couple of this book gave me all kinds of feels!! They are adorable and I can see a romance developing between two side characters and I really want there to be a sequel about them!!
If you want a fast fun and overall great read then do your self a favor and pick this book up.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book
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March 27, 2017DNF @ 20%
*Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review via Netgalley - thanks so much for sending me a copy*
I was in the mood for a good, cheesy contemporary, and the moment I saw it, I had to request this on Netgalley. Entangled Teen/Crush has been rocking on their adorable contemps lately, so I had to grab this one up. I know the fake boyfriend trope has been done to death, yet there are a few times where I thoroughly enjoy it. It's just so cheesy sometimes and I enjoy the cheese. But this one fell flat for me.
I think the main issue I had is that it was too formulaic, and I mean, it literally had all the things that would normally work for a cheesy book like this: a nerdy and sassy MC, the fight between popular kids and the "nerdy" crowd, the popular boy with a heart of gold and some struggles of his own, the fierce best friend, and some sassy and funny situations. Then add in the fake boyfriend to win the student election to actually make a difference? Does it not sound like an epic setup for an adorable book? It totally did to me.
However, I think where the issue was that it was too formulaic. It had all of these elements, but they just didn't mesh together. It felt like it was trying too hard to be what it was supposed to be and wasn't actually what it needed to be. Like, there were certain dialogue instances that were trying so hard to sound young but it just...fell super flat. And then there was the whole rushed factor of a lot of the story. Like, there was no talking out anything.
For example, Ayla comes up with this idea to blackmail Luke to be her fake boyfriend, so she calls up her best friend to let her know her evil/crazy plan. And her friend's like, OMG, do you think this is a good idea? And Ayla's like, well, IT IS GENIUS and literally the next sentence the friend is like, oh, well, kk. Okay, if I called any of my friend - even my bestie who has gone through quite a few insane plans with me - there would definitely be quite a bit more conversation and start out most likely with, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND and GIRL, NO. And I get there isn't a lot of time to get to the heart of the story so you have to do it quickly, but I would have liked two or more pages of discussion instead of 4 paragraphs.
Now, I did like the characters well enough and the plot was good enough, but I just couldn't get over the huge hump that was the first two paragraphs of this review. Super sad because I'm missing my cheese.
A DNF Snow White rating, and an actual short review for once!
*Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review via Netgalley - thanks so much for sending me a copy*
I was in the mood for a good, cheesy contemporary, and the moment I saw it, I had to request this on Netgalley. Entangled Teen/Crush has been rocking on their adorable contemps lately, so I had to grab this one up. I know the fake boyfriend trope has been done to death, yet there are a few times where I thoroughly enjoy it. It's just so cheesy sometimes and I enjoy the cheese. But this one fell flat for me.
I think the main issue I had is that it was too formulaic, and I mean, it literally had all the things that would normally work for a cheesy book like this: a nerdy and sassy MC, the fight between popular kids and the "nerdy" crowd, the popular boy with a heart of gold and some struggles of his own, the fierce best friend, and some sassy and funny situations. Then add in the fake boyfriend to win the student election to actually make a difference? Does it not sound like an epic setup for an adorable book? It totally did to me.
However, I think where the issue was that it was too formulaic. It had all of these elements, but they just didn't mesh together. It felt like it was trying too hard to be what it was supposed to be and wasn't actually what it needed to be. Like, there were certain dialogue instances that were trying so hard to sound young but it just...fell super flat. And then there was the whole rushed factor of a lot of the story. Like, there was no talking out anything.
For example, Ayla comes up with this idea to blackmail Luke to be her fake boyfriend, so she calls up her best friend to let her know her evil/crazy plan. And her friend's like, OMG, do you think this is a good idea? And Ayla's like, well, IT IS GENIUS and literally the next sentence the friend is like, oh, well, kk. Okay, if I called any of my friend - even my bestie who has gone through quite a few insane plans with me - there would definitely be quite a bit more conversation and start out most likely with, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND and GIRL, NO. And I get there isn't a lot of time to get to the heart of the story so you have to do it quickly, but I would have liked two or more pages of discussion instead of 4 paragraphs.
Now, I did like the characters well enough and the plot was good enough, but I just couldn't get over the huge hump that was the first two paragraphs of this review. Super sad because I'm missing my cheese.
A DNF Snow White rating, and an actual short review for once!
April 12, 2017
Review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. I want to also thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.
Budget cuts seem to be out there to get Ayla when both the newspaper she edits and drama club go through funding problems. That's when a chance lands on her lap, she gets a video of popular jock Luke vandalizing school property. Now he has to pretend to be her boyfriend and help her win the election.
This was the average YA. There's not much to mention when it comes to flaws, really.
At the same time. there were some nice touches. I really liked Luke's story. Actually I liked the whole of Luke. Not that Ayla wasn't a good character, she was. But Luke was quite lovely. Considering how male characters are in YA's, I feel that is a big win. And his brother is so cute!
In my opinion, the flaws were two. First, the story never left what was to be expected, unless you count Luke's money problems but that was more of a distraction—though a worthy one—than a creative development for the main plot. And then there is the issue that some key parts were rushed. I couldn't figure out why because I don't think the book wasted time anywhere. Still, they could have gone deeper in some parts, especially the climax.
As I was saying, this is the average YA. It's an easy read with a nice conclusion and likeable characters. You'll have fun, you'll find it lovely, it'll just be very likely you'll soon forget all about it.
Budget cuts seem to be out there to get Ayla when both the newspaper she edits and drama club go through funding problems. That's when a chance lands on her lap, she gets a video of popular jock Luke vandalizing school property. Now he has to pretend to be her boyfriend and help her win the election.
This was the average YA. There's not much to mention when it comes to flaws, really.
At the same time. there were some nice touches. I really liked Luke's story. Actually I liked the whole of Luke. Not that Ayla wasn't a good character, she was. But Luke was quite lovely. Considering how male characters are in YA's, I feel that is a big win. And his brother is so cute!
In my opinion, the flaws were two. First, the story never left what was to be expected, unless you count Luke's money problems but that was more of a distraction—though a worthy one—than a creative development for the main plot. And then there is the issue that some key parts were rushed. I couldn't figure out why because I don't think the book wasted time anywhere. Still, they could have gone deeper in some parts, especially the climax.
As I was saying, this is the average YA. It's an easy read with a nice conclusion and likeable characters. You'll have fun, you'll find it lovely, it'll just be very likely you'll soon forget all about it.
April 19, 2017
I know I’ve talked about this before on here, but WHY DO I KEEP READING BOOKS FROM THIS PUBLISHER. They always have promising premises, but then they never payoff. I just need to learn my lesson and STAY AWAY. Seriously, next time I’m going to read one of these please, somebody stop me.
I liked Luke as a character but Ayla was just too much. I found her overbearing, judgmental, and more than a little self-righteous. To be honest, I’m not totally sure what Luke sees in her, but whatever. Luke had a surprisingly in-depth backstory and I feel like it was given enough screen time to really get to know who he is. Without giving anything away, I do question the plausibility of some things that happen towards the end…but maybe it’s a really big town.
The plot is predictably infuriating. Lack of communication leads to all kinds of drama, etc., etc. Also, characters really need to learn how to passcode protect their phones. That’s pretty much all I have to say about the plot. It’s all just very blah. The antagonist throughout the whole thing is a girl named Jenna Lee who is the cardboard mean girl that makes her way into most of these books. We get nothing from her as far as motivations go–she’s just mean for no reason. So that doesn’t really help to drive the plot forward much or make it more interesting.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. There are plenty of other “blackmailed into dating” books to read if you’re interested in that trope. I’d say give this one a hard PASS.
Overall Rating: 2
Language: Heavy
Violence: None
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked Luke as a character but Ayla was just too much. I found her overbearing, judgmental, and more than a little self-righteous. To be honest, I’m not totally sure what Luke sees in her, but whatever. Luke had a surprisingly in-depth backstory and I feel like it was given enough screen time to really get to know who he is. Without giving anything away, I do question the plausibility of some things that happen towards the end…but maybe it’s a really big town.
The plot is predictably infuriating. Lack of communication leads to all kinds of drama, etc., etc. Also, characters really need to learn how to passcode protect their phones. That’s pretty much all I have to say about the plot. It’s all just very blah. The antagonist throughout the whole thing is a girl named Jenna Lee who is the cardboard mean girl that makes her way into most of these books. We get nothing from her as far as motivations go–she’s just mean for no reason. So that doesn’t really help to drive the plot forward much or make it more interesting.
Overall, I would not recommend this book. There are plenty of other “blackmailed into dating” books to read if you’re interested in that trope. I’d say give this one a hard PASS.
Overall Rating: 2
Language: Heavy
Violence: None
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2017
2.75 stars
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
Incriminating Dating was a bit TOO YA for me. What most people call YA (young adult) these days, specially on IG, I consider NA (new adult), but there's nothing wrong with a good YA book, ai actually love them.
But this time, it was maybe a bit too sweet for me. The man characters, despite being high school seniors, were too childish for my tastes. The story was just too mellow, with no real sparkle between the characters. I couldn't feel the chemistry.
Even though it seems like a cliché from the blurb, it isn't. At leats not the cliché we all think at first. It might still be a cliché, but a more "different" one. There's also a plot twist (I saw itcoming - to some extent) with the hero's story, which was welcome.
I couldn't relate much with the book and it shouldn't have happened. Even though I'm 10 years older than these characters, it's a sign of a good book and an acomplished goal when we can relate to stories and characters despite them being different than us. Unfortunately that didn't happen here.
The ammount of sugar in the story and how sweet it was, ironically, prevented me to like it as much as I could.
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
Incriminating Dating was a bit TOO YA for me. What most people call YA (young adult) these days, specially on IG, I consider NA (new adult), but there's nothing wrong with a good YA book, ai actually love them.
But this time, it was maybe a bit too sweet for me. The man characters, despite being high school seniors, were too childish for my tastes. The story was just too mellow, with no real sparkle between the characters. I couldn't feel the chemistry.
Even though it seems like a cliché from the blurb, it isn't. At leats not the cliché we all think at first. It might still be a cliché, but a more "different" one. There's also a plot twist (I saw itcoming - to some extent) with the hero's story, which was welcome.
I couldn't relate much with the book and it shouldn't have happened. Even though I'm 10 years older than these characters, it's a sign of a good book and an acomplished goal when we can relate to stories and characters despite them being different than us. Unfortunately that didn't happen here.
The ammount of sugar in the story and how sweet it was, ironically, prevented me to like it as much as I could.
September 20, 2018
A heart-warming YA about a ‘rich’, popular jock and a sweet, creative ‘nerd’. This story could have been so cliche and predictable but it actually was pretty unique and didn’t go the way I expected. I liked the characters and how realistic they were, and, also not as they seemed. Everyone has many sides to them. One they show their close friends, one their families, one to acquaintances, etc., and this story highlights that fact but, also, that sometimes we just need to be real and will still be loved.
April 10, 2017
I'm part of the blog tour for this book! Check out my blog on April 14th for an excerpt and a guest post from the author: http://www.meganpegasus.wordpress.com.
Ayla Hawkins knows where she’s going in life. She’s editor-in-chief of her school newspaper; she’s just landed the lead role in her school play; and she’s going to Columbia University as soon as high school is over. So when her best friend Chloe insists on her running as school president, Ayla isn’t so sure she’s up for the task. But when her school’s drama club budget is cut (yet again) along with the threat of the school paper going online-only in order to funnel more funding into sports, Ayla realizes she has to stand up for herself and the other kids in her school who aren’t sports-inclined. Only how is she supposed to win when no one knows who she is and she’s running against the most popular girl in school who has won the presidency the past three years? Ayla’s chance is granted when she stumbles across Luke Pressler, the school’s star basketball player, and his two fellow teammates intoxicated and destroying public property in the local park one night. Ayla captures it all on her cell phone and hatches the perfect plan: to blackmail Luke Pressler into pretending to be her boyfriend and help her win the election. With Luke having the chance at a full-ride to a Big Ten university, he can’t chance his actions getting out and facing criminal charges and the loss of his scholarship. So Luke agrees to Ayla’s terms. But as their fake relationship goes on, Luke finds a solace and a much-needed confidante in his blackmailer and Ayla realizes that Luke is very different from what her past prejudices were. And as the election looms and they grow closer, the lines start to get blurred about what exactly is fake in their relationship…and what might be real.
I instantly fell in love with this cute little contemporary romance. While the premise may sound overdone and clichéd, this book is filled with such fun, relatable characters and just the perfect amount of quirkiness that it completely avoids falling prey to the trope. Contemporary romance is not normally my favorite to read but every so often I find one that is so well-done that I fall in love with it. This is one of them. (And I’ve already read it twice).
I really loved the characters that are featured in this book. Ayla is such a relatable and genuine character that I feel many readers will connect with her. With her nerdy interests that include Doctor Who, Zelda, and Minecraft, and her obsession with her favorite food of pizza, she’s not the typical YA main character. I also love that Ayla is plus-sized and embraces herself for who she is and never lets it hold her back. She is certainly a character that I would find myself friends with. I loved getting to know Luke as he revealed the true circumstances of his life. That he’s not just some jock with an easy life with rich parents, but instead struggles to help feed his divorced mom and brother while keeping his grades up and performing well in basketball. Instead of the typical jock, we get to see someone who is just barely holding it together and feels like they have to put up a façade to fit in, just like so many other high schoolers. While the focus of the story is on the romance, there’s certainly some real issues that are touched on in this book and I really appreciated that.
I also found the writing style and pacing to be extremely engaging and finished this book in two days. While I normally don’t care for alternating points of view in books, Purdy did such an amazing job with it that I loved the alternating chapters between Ayla and Luke. Both characters had unique voices and I loved getting to see how each of their opinions changed about the other as the book went on. The chapters also flowed together seamlessly so I never found myself irritated with being taken from an engaging event to something else in other author’s attempts in creating suspense. Overall, the writing style and plot were just done so well. There’s also a nice small-town feel to the book with the characters going on hayrides and making smores by the fire which was a fun aspect. There are definitely some typical YA tropes in this book but overall I loved the romance so much in this that it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of it at all.
Basically if you’re looking for the next cute contemporary romance must-read, this is it. While it does come with the disclaimer of adult language and sexual situations, I personally feel that there didn’t need to be a disclaimer for sexual situations since they are very minor. The adult language though? Yeah, that’s fitting. If you get any amount of enjoyment out of contemporary romances, pick this book up. You won’t regret it.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Ayla Hawkins knows where she’s going in life. She’s editor-in-chief of her school newspaper; she’s just landed the lead role in her school play; and she’s going to Columbia University as soon as high school is over. So when her best friend Chloe insists on her running as school president, Ayla isn’t so sure she’s up for the task. But when her school’s drama club budget is cut (yet again) along with the threat of the school paper going online-only in order to funnel more funding into sports, Ayla realizes she has to stand up for herself and the other kids in her school who aren’t sports-inclined. Only how is she supposed to win when no one knows who she is and she’s running against the most popular girl in school who has won the presidency the past three years? Ayla’s chance is granted when she stumbles across Luke Pressler, the school’s star basketball player, and his two fellow teammates intoxicated and destroying public property in the local park one night. Ayla captures it all on her cell phone and hatches the perfect plan: to blackmail Luke Pressler into pretending to be her boyfriend and help her win the election. With Luke having the chance at a full-ride to a Big Ten university, he can’t chance his actions getting out and facing criminal charges and the loss of his scholarship. So Luke agrees to Ayla’s terms. But as their fake relationship goes on, Luke finds a solace and a much-needed confidante in his blackmailer and Ayla realizes that Luke is very different from what her past prejudices were. And as the election looms and they grow closer, the lines start to get blurred about what exactly is fake in their relationship…and what might be real.
I instantly fell in love with this cute little contemporary romance. While the premise may sound overdone and clichéd, this book is filled with such fun, relatable characters and just the perfect amount of quirkiness that it completely avoids falling prey to the trope. Contemporary romance is not normally my favorite to read but every so often I find one that is so well-done that I fall in love with it. This is one of them. (And I’ve already read it twice).
I really loved the characters that are featured in this book. Ayla is such a relatable and genuine character that I feel many readers will connect with her. With her nerdy interests that include Doctor Who, Zelda, and Minecraft, and her obsession with her favorite food of pizza, she’s not the typical YA main character. I also love that Ayla is plus-sized and embraces herself for who she is and never lets it hold her back. She is certainly a character that I would find myself friends with. I loved getting to know Luke as he revealed the true circumstances of his life. That he’s not just some jock with an easy life with rich parents, but instead struggles to help feed his divorced mom and brother while keeping his grades up and performing well in basketball. Instead of the typical jock, we get to see someone who is just barely holding it together and feels like they have to put up a façade to fit in, just like so many other high schoolers. While the focus of the story is on the romance, there’s certainly some real issues that are touched on in this book and I really appreciated that.
I also found the writing style and pacing to be extremely engaging and finished this book in two days. While I normally don’t care for alternating points of view in books, Purdy did such an amazing job with it that I loved the alternating chapters between Ayla and Luke. Both characters had unique voices and I loved getting to see how each of their opinions changed about the other as the book went on. The chapters also flowed together seamlessly so I never found myself irritated with being taken from an engaging event to something else in other author’s attempts in creating suspense. Overall, the writing style and plot were just done so well. There’s also a nice small-town feel to the book with the characters going on hayrides and making smores by the fire which was a fun aspect. There are definitely some typical YA tropes in this book but overall I loved the romance so much in this that it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of it at all.
Basically if you’re looking for the next cute contemporary romance must-read, this is it. While it does come with the disclaimer of adult language and sexual situations, I personally feel that there didn’t need to be a disclaimer for sexual situations since they are very minor. The adult language though? Yeah, that’s fitting. If you get any amount of enjoyment out of contemporary romances, pick this book up. You won’t regret it.
*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
April 12, 2017
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3.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
I'm...not sure...exactly what I thought. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It was what I was looking for, something a bit lighter with swoony moments. But it did have some other depth that I hadn't been expecting but still found very intriguing and gut-wrenching. But at the same time there were a few things that bugged me, and it was a bit more obviously predictable. I mean, it's not that I don't often pick up these books knowing that they will be predictable, because that also means that I get those predictable good feelings. But there was just something a bit more that didn't work for me...or maybe it's that there were a few things that went off book that didn't necessarily fit for me. Huh, so did I find it too cliché or not predictable enough? I don't even know.
OK, good stuff. In general I really enjoyed both our MCs. At the core of Ayla, she was a sassy personality who believes in noble things and desires fairness and opportunities for everyone. I enjoyed that while she was a curvier girl, she was OK with who she was most of the time...I actually liked that it wasn't 100% of the time, b/c it's something I think people have to work at and takes time. Even I try to accept myself, but it's not that sometimes things people say can't still get to me. So I felt like that was very real, and so she was a good role model. And I didn't even mind that what we got with her was the typical nerdy girl who hates judgement, but does a bit of her own judgement about the popular kids/jocks. It's a good lesson to learn, to give EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt, not just the ones like you. And I didn't even mind that she resorted to blackmail, though I wish I felt the desperation more to justify it. It seems like she only just decided in one day to run, and suddenly she's resorting to shady means to win. It was OK, but could have been fleshed out better.
Luke was even more interesting in some ways. Because we end up with a guy who is afraid to upset his current status by being himself, and who's both vandalized and either called people names (according to Ayla's friends), or at minimum stood by while his friends were dicks. I felt like these things weren't given enough time or thought in the book though, and that was kind of a shame. Did he really never feel bad about Jack being such a dick to other people in school? What led him to the vandalism? I mean, we kind of get some of it, but I would have really appreciated a bit more growth there. It was kind of swept under the rug (except for that one part with Isaac). It was an opportunity missed in my opinion. And I get why, there was just so much else going on with him. But it's not an excuse you know? So did he honestly just have so little compassion? Or was he just not aware? I don't know...
But on the other side of the coin, I (like Ayla) really fell for the "real" Luke that we got to see outside of school. Landon's big brother. He was really rather sweet, and it almost seemed like maybe he was just coasting, and needed someone to give him a reason to stand up for something. And that someone was Ayla. And he really was dealing with soooo much at home. The twists were a bit unexpected, and honestly I'm still not sure how happy I am with the realism of them. Like they live in one town, and he never saw or encountered those people (trying to be vague)? That's kind of unrealistic, isn't it?
As for secondary characters, they were occasionally a mixed bag. I wanted to see more of the friendships with Brady and Chloe. Because I think they could have added even more. I wanted them to, from what I saw of them. But for Chloe, I wasn't sure what brought her and Ayla together...what they were like together. We didn't really get to see them hang out, she was just kind of ancillary to the plot. I got a bit more from Brady, but I kind of wanted him to be more involved with Luke. Like he lived on Mansion Hill, did he not notice those people?
Landon and Ayla's parents were awesome though. Awesome awesome awesome. Added good stuff, made me happy. Awesome.
I was a bit bummed with the way the whole Jenna thing worked out too. I saw it coming from a mile away, but it would have been cool to have been surprised, you know?
So yeah, it was a solid cliché YA. They're good to have. I just felt like it could have given me a bit more and I would have been a bit more satisfied.
3.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
I'm...not sure...exactly what I thought. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It was what I was looking for, something a bit lighter with swoony moments. But it did have some other depth that I hadn't been expecting but still found very intriguing and gut-wrenching. But at the same time there were a few things that bugged me, and it was a bit more obviously predictable. I mean, it's not that I don't often pick up these books knowing that they will be predictable, because that also means that I get those predictable good feelings. But there was just something a bit more that didn't work for me...or maybe it's that there were a few things that went off book that didn't necessarily fit for me. Huh, so did I find it too cliché or not predictable enough? I don't even know.
OK, good stuff. In general I really enjoyed both our MCs. At the core of Ayla, she was a sassy personality who believes in noble things and desires fairness and opportunities for everyone. I enjoyed that while she was a curvier girl, she was OK with who she was most of the time...I actually liked that it wasn't 100% of the time, b/c it's something I think people have to work at and takes time. Even I try to accept myself, but it's not that sometimes things people say can't still get to me. So I felt like that was very real, and so she was a good role model. And I didn't even mind that what we got with her was the typical nerdy girl who hates judgement, but does a bit of her own judgement about the popular kids/jocks. It's a good lesson to learn, to give EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt, not just the ones like you. And I didn't even mind that she resorted to blackmail, though I wish I felt the desperation more to justify it. It seems like she only just decided in one day to run, and suddenly she's resorting to shady means to win. It was OK, but could have been fleshed out better.
Luke was even more interesting in some ways. Because we end up with a guy who is afraid to upset his current status by being himself, and who's both vandalized and either called people names (according to Ayla's friends), or at minimum stood by while his friends were dicks. I felt like these things weren't given enough time or thought in the book though, and that was kind of a shame. Did he really never feel bad about Jack being such a dick to other people in school? What led him to the vandalism? I mean, we kind of get some of it, but I would have really appreciated a bit more growth there. It was kind of swept under the rug (except for that one part with Isaac). It was an opportunity missed in my opinion. And I get why, there was just so much else going on with him. But it's not an excuse you know? So did he honestly just have so little compassion? Or was he just not aware? I don't know...
But on the other side of the coin, I (like Ayla) really fell for the "real" Luke that we got to see outside of school. Landon's big brother. He was really rather sweet, and it almost seemed like maybe he was just coasting, and needed someone to give him a reason to stand up for something. And that someone was Ayla. And he really was dealing with soooo much at home. The twists were a bit unexpected, and honestly I'm still not sure how happy I am with the realism of them. Like they live in one town, and he never saw or encountered those people (trying to be vague)? That's kind of unrealistic, isn't it?
As for secondary characters, they were occasionally a mixed bag. I wanted to see more of the friendships with Brady and Chloe. Because I think they could have added even more. I wanted them to, from what I saw of them. But for Chloe, I wasn't sure what brought her and Ayla together...what they were like together. We didn't really get to see them hang out, she was just kind of ancillary to the plot. I got a bit more from Brady, but I kind of wanted him to be more involved with Luke. Like he lived on Mansion Hill, did he not notice those people?
Landon and Ayla's parents were awesome though. Awesome awesome awesome. Added good stuff, made me happy. Awesome.
I was a bit bummed with the way the whole Jenna thing worked out too. I saw it coming from a mile away, but it would have been cool to have been surprised, you know?
So yeah, it was a solid cliché YA. They're good to have. I just felt like it could have given me a bit more and I would have been a bit more satisfied.
April 27, 2017
Oh I really loved this! It was so cute! And now I am totally in love with Luke. He was so sweet and caring, and hot and amazing and protective! The perfect boyfriend!
I also liked Ayla. She was really sweet, caring and brave. She was an amazing girl. And I really enjoyed seeing them falling in love and their relationship grow, day after day. They did grow up too. Especially Luke became a better person. He wanted to change and not because a girl told him to, but because he realized he was behaving badly and didn't like it.
I also liked Chloe, she was a really good friend. Really the best friend ever.
And Brady wasn't so bad either. I didn't like him in the beginning, he also wasn't behaving very good. But he too changed for the best. And he also really cared about Luke. He was a good friend.
Jack was an @sshole. Jenna was an evil b!tch. And Luke's mom was totally f*cked up. Might be mental illness, might be pure bitchiness. Might be the alcohol. Who knows. Maybe all of the above. But still, she was totally crazy and evil. She made those two poor kids lifes miserable. But I'm really glad Ayla was there for both Luke and Landon. She was great..And her parents too were awesome. Taking care of the guys even though they had no obligation. They were just good people and really cool parents.
So, 4.5 stars for this really cute book.
I also liked Ayla. She was really sweet, caring and brave. She was an amazing girl. And I really enjoyed seeing them falling in love and their relationship grow, day after day. They did grow up too. Especially Luke became a better person. He wanted to change and not because a girl told him to, but because he realized he was behaving badly and didn't like it.
I also liked Chloe, she was a really good friend. Really the best friend ever.
And Brady wasn't so bad either. I didn't like him in the beginning, he also wasn't behaving very good. But he too changed for the best. And he also really cared about Luke. He was a good friend.
Jack was an @sshole. Jenna was an evil b!tch. And Luke's mom was totally f*cked up. Might be mental illness, might be pure bitchiness. Might be the alcohol. Who knows. Maybe all of the above. But still, she was totally crazy and evil. She made those two poor kids lifes miserable. But I'm really glad Ayla was there for both Luke and Landon. She was great..And her parents too were awesome. Taking care of the guys even though they had no obligation. They were just good people and really cool parents.
So, 4.5 stars for this really cute book.
April 19, 2017
****3.5 Stars****
This book is your classic fake boyfriend/girlfriend tale to help the people out but eventually they end up falling for each other.
Ayla is the quiet girl that has kept her focus on making sure her college resume will stand out. Luke Pressler is the hot jock that has everything riding on his ability to play basketball...they wouldn't fit together at all, right?!
When Ayla needs to get voted class president, she will use blackmail to get Luke on her side, solely for the popular kids and athlete's votes. But as they get to know one another they will realize that looks and reputations aren't everything.
A very fun read that had me laughing out loud in parts!
Thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for the ARC
This book is your classic fake boyfriend/girlfriend tale to help the people out but eventually they end up falling for each other.
Ayla is the quiet girl that has kept her focus on making sure her college resume will stand out. Luke Pressler is the hot jock that has everything riding on his ability to play basketball...they wouldn't fit together at all, right?!
When Ayla needs to get voted class president, she will use blackmail to get Luke on her side, solely for the popular kids and athlete's votes. But as they get to know one another they will realize that looks and reputations aren't everything.
A very fun read that had me laughing out loud in parts!
Thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for the ARC
June 6, 2017
A fun look at a girl's desperation, coupled with a boy's secrets. When Ayla comes upon Luke in an inopportune moment for him, it's her perfect chance to blackmail him into being her pretend boyfriend. By doing so, she believes it will gain her the popularity needed to be elected class president. We all know it's not going to go as planned, but following along as she discovers he's far from the jerk she expected, while he realizes she's a lot more interesting than he ever imagined, makes for another fun romantic read courtesy of Entangled Crush.
August 11, 2017
It started gr8 and then it wasnt anymore
Want to read
March 18, 2017This sounds like an adorable cliché in a way. We can all guess where this'll go.
April 12, 2017
First Impression:
Cute cover & premise ❤️ Fake YA boyfriends are always fun! I enjoy a good romantic comedy when I need a break from fantasy and mystery novels ❤️
*In-depth review*
This is a typical ya contemporary romance novel. Ayla is in the school's newspaper and drama club. She doesn't care much about the popular crowd at school and tries to stay out of their way. Her friend, Chloe, convinces her run for school president against the popular mean girl, Jenna, when the future of the newspaper and drama club comes into question because of lack of funding. Ayla needs something to get people to notice her so she uses an incriminating video of Luke and his friends to blackmail him to be her boyfriend.
Luke, of course, turns out to be more genuine and kind than she expected with problems of his own. I like alternating chapters from Luke's POV because you don't really get a lot of books with guys POV in YA!
It was a quick read and I think if you want something light to read, this is the book for you. However, I was hoping the book will a bit darker and really dig into the issues. It took forever for Luke and Ayla to acknowledge that their fake relationship isn't fake anymore. I mean once they became friends, I didn't see the reason to continue the fake relationship. Also, I was sad that Ayla didn't think she couldn't win the election without Luke and his popular status. Obviously, that was part of the blurb, but it really bugged me as I continued to read on because they kept bringing it up.
*I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you, Engtangled publishing, LLC and NetGalley <3 *
Cute cover & premise ❤️ Fake YA boyfriends are always fun! I enjoy a good romantic comedy when I need a break from fantasy and mystery novels ❤️
*In-depth review*
This is a typical ya contemporary romance novel. Ayla is in the school's newspaper and drama club. She doesn't care much about the popular crowd at school and tries to stay out of their way. Her friend, Chloe, convinces her run for school president against the popular mean girl, Jenna, when the future of the newspaper and drama club comes into question because of lack of funding. Ayla needs something to get people to notice her so she uses an incriminating video of Luke and his friends to blackmail him to be her boyfriend.
Luke, of course, turns out to be more genuine and kind than she expected with problems of his own. I like alternating chapters from Luke's POV because you don't really get a lot of books with guys POV in YA!
It was a quick read and I think if you want something light to read, this is the book for you. However, I was hoping the book will a bit darker and really dig into the issues. It took forever for Luke and Ayla to acknowledge that their fake relationship isn't fake anymore. I mean once they became friends, I didn't see the reason to continue the fake relationship. Also, I was sad that Ayla didn't think she couldn't win the election without Luke and his popular status. Obviously, that was part of the blurb, but it really bugged me as I continued to read on because they kept bringing it up.
*I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you, Engtangled publishing, LLC and NetGalley <3 *
April 17, 2017
Three and a half stars.
Ayla Hawkins is an idealistic drama club, gaming, school newspaper editor nerd. But when funding for the drama club and the newspaper at her high school are cut yet again to buy new uniforms for one of the sports teams her best friend urges her to take a stand and tun for class president. The problem is that her rival is Jenna Lee, popular, one of the in-crowd and incumbent class president. Her chances look slim until one night she sees three of the most popular boys in school vandalising public property. When one of the boys, Luke Pressler, blows off an interview for the school paper with Ayla without an explanation (an interview mandated by the Principal) Ayla decides enough is enough and decides to blackmail Luke into helping with her campaign by posing as her fake boyfriend.
Although Ayla might be a nerd she is self-confident, happy with herself and comes from a loving and supportive family. Luke however is living a lie. Formerly one of the rich kids living in a huge mansion, his parents have divorced, his father has remarried and moved to Italy and he has to work nights at the local pizza parlour to help his mom pay the bills.
This is a really low-angst teen novel about two individuals who have nothing in common on the surface who click once they spend time together. Luke realises that some of his so-called friends are not very nice and that in a crisis it is Ayla and her family who are there for him. There is the inevitable (and predictable) nasty girl plot at the end but overall I read this with a smile on my face. After starting and putting down five or six books when I was 30%-50% through them because they weren't engaging me this was a breath of fresh air.
Thoroughly recommended if you enjoy any of those preppy High School movies.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Ayla Hawkins is an idealistic drama club, gaming, school newspaper editor nerd. But when funding for the drama club and the newspaper at her high school are cut yet again to buy new uniforms for one of the sports teams her best friend urges her to take a stand and tun for class president. The problem is that her rival is Jenna Lee, popular, one of the in-crowd and incumbent class president. Her chances look slim until one night she sees three of the most popular boys in school vandalising public property. When one of the boys, Luke Pressler, blows off an interview for the school paper with Ayla without an explanation (an interview mandated by the Principal) Ayla decides enough is enough and decides to blackmail Luke into helping with her campaign by posing as her fake boyfriend.
Although Ayla might be a nerd she is self-confident, happy with herself and comes from a loving and supportive family. Luke however is living a lie. Formerly one of the rich kids living in a huge mansion, his parents have divorced, his father has remarried and moved to Italy and he has to work nights at the local pizza parlour to help his mom pay the bills.
This is a really low-angst teen novel about two individuals who have nothing in common on the surface who click once they spend time together. Luke realises that some of his so-called friends are not very nice and that in a crisis it is Ayla and her family who are there for him. There is the inevitable (and predictable) nasty girl plot at the end but overall I read this with a smile on my face. After starting and putting down five or six books when I was 30%-50% through them because they weren't engaging me this was a breath of fresh air.
Thoroughly recommended if you enjoy any of those preppy High School movies.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
August 24, 2017
Dnf
*rolls eyes to the highest heavens*
This author clearly went on twitter and saw that diversity was the biggest trend saw went about putting as much as she could in and tied a bow round it with a rinsed out trope.
- non-existent banter
- no snark
-no chemistry
-like I'm not even a 100 pages in and shes been called fat 4 times *face palm* (I mean really the guys younger brother said I quote "your too fat to be his girlfriend"
WE GET IT SHE IS CURVY AND PLUS SIZED QUIT GETTING EVERYONE NEW CHARACTER SHE MEETS TO FREAKING INSULT HER AND CALL HER FAT
(the hero being a virgin made me widen by very sleepy eyes like the hottest guy in the school a virgin? cute thats a new one)
other than that... NEXT
*rolls eyes to the highest heavens*
This author clearly went on twitter and saw that diversity was the biggest trend saw went about putting as much as she could in and tied a bow round it with a rinsed out trope.
- non-existent banter
- no snark
-no chemistry
-like I'm not even a 100 pages in and shes been called fat 4 times *face palm* (I mean really the guys younger brother said I quote "your too fat to be his girlfriend"
WE GET IT SHE IS CURVY AND PLUS SIZED QUIT GETTING EVERYONE NEW CHARACTER SHE MEETS TO FREAKING INSULT HER AND CALL HER FAT
(the hero being a virgin made me widen by very sleepy eyes like the hottest guy in the school a virgin? cute thats a new one)
other than that... NEXT
June 19, 2017
Incriminating Dating by Rebekah L. Purdy is a YA contemporary romance. Some discretion may be necessary for younger readers for the explicit language.
Ayla isn’t part of the popular crowd at school. She cares about things outside of school and wants to make a difference in the world. While this alone doesn’t put her on the outs with the popular kids, it does separate her in a meaningful way. The school newspaper is a major after school activity for Ayla but the stories required of her revolve around school sports while her provocative, current news stories are shot down. When her best friend decides that Ayla should run for class president so that she can help change the schools focus, Ayla thinks its crazy. That is, until she records the school’s golden boy and most popular basketball player, Luke, doing something he shouldn’t. With his future in her hands, Luke agrees to help Ayla win the election.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected an extremely angsty, gritty, teenage novel that I would have to take breaks from so I didn’t break my Kindle. That was not the case. Although Luke was the popular, good looking kid, he was not a whore. Novel concept! Since he had spent the last several years taking care of my brother and mom, there was no time left for girls. So that meant there also wasn’t that horrible, bitchy ex-girlfriend who made Ayla feel terrible because she had slept with him so many times, there was a comfort level between the two. Oh don’t get me wrong! There was still a bitchy popular girl…I mean, it was still a YA novel. But the nastiness was born of jealousy over the student election. I found that refreshing.
As the story continues, we learn that Lukes life wasn’t anyones fantasy. He had to be fake around everyone he knew apart from Ayla. What started as blackmail turns into a great friendship where the two start to really lean on one another during some bad times. And there were plenty of bad times for Luke. By the end, who wasn’t hoping his mom would get shanked in prison?
I really enjoyed the story and I look forward to more of this authors work.
I give this book 4 stars.
Ayla isn’t part of the popular crowd at school. She cares about things outside of school and wants to make a difference in the world. While this alone doesn’t put her on the outs with the popular kids, it does separate her in a meaningful way. The school newspaper is a major after school activity for Ayla but the stories required of her revolve around school sports while her provocative, current news stories are shot down. When her best friend decides that Ayla should run for class president so that she can help change the schools focus, Ayla thinks its crazy. That is, until she records the school’s golden boy and most popular basketball player, Luke, doing something he shouldn’t. With his future in her hands, Luke agrees to help Ayla win the election.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected an extremely angsty, gritty, teenage novel that I would have to take breaks from so I didn’t break my Kindle. That was not the case. Although Luke was the popular, good looking kid, he was not a whore. Novel concept! Since he had spent the last several years taking care of my brother and mom, there was no time left for girls. So that meant there also wasn’t that horrible, bitchy ex-girlfriend who made Ayla feel terrible because she had slept with him so many times, there was a comfort level between the two. Oh don’t get me wrong! There was still a bitchy popular girl…I mean, it was still a YA novel. But the nastiness was born of jealousy over the student election. I found that refreshing.
As the story continues, we learn that Lukes life wasn’t anyones fantasy. He had to be fake around everyone he knew apart from Ayla. What started as blackmail turns into a great friendship where the two start to really lean on one another during some bad times. And there were plenty of bad times for Luke. By the end, who wasn’t hoping his mom would get shanked in prison?
I really enjoyed the story and I look forward to more of this authors work.
I give this book 4 stars.
June 9, 2017
I know it doesn't seem this way from my last couple of reviews, but seriously I LOVE entangled teen crush. Like the stories are cute, fluffy, and make the hopeless romantic in me really happy. But, this book fell flat. I don't know why. We have Ayla Hawkins, our funky mc. She's a newspaper reporter FOR A HIGHSCHOOL PAPER, who wants to write articles about SEX TRAFFICING and TRANSGENDER RIGHTS. Look this is a HIGHSCHOOL PAPER, of course the principal is going to reject those ideas, no offense but these topics are usually not school appropriate. So excuse me for not supporting Ayla's efforts 100%... But moving on, Ayla wants to help promote the arts, which are undergoing budget cuts, which I understand is a big issue, so she runs for class president. Go Ayla!!! But she needs backup to win and luckily she has blackmail on Luke, star basketball player and all around golden boy.
Ok, Luke is an interesting character, his parents divorced and he is living with his mom. His family is no longer rich because his dad basically cut them off. So he is trying to help his mom make ends meet. When Ayla catches him defacing public property on camera, he agrees to become her fake boyfriend so he doesn't lose his scholarship.
Which brings us to Ayla's slogan. "Get Real. Vote Ayla." Can we just laugh at this for a second? She GOT a FAKE boyfriend. Jeanna really could use this to her advantage... Anyway that spoilery thing I said... well that made me lose my respect for Ayla...
But I must admit there were quite a few cute moments between Luke and Ayla. :) But this book still had some issues... But the treehouse moments were cute...
Ok, Luke is an interesting character, his parents divorced and he is living with his mom. His family is no longer rich because his dad basically cut them off. So he is trying to help his mom make ends meet. When Ayla catches him defacing public property on camera, he agrees to become her fake boyfriend so he doesn't lose his scholarship.
Which brings us to Ayla's slogan. "Get Real. Vote Ayla." Can we just laugh at this for a second? She GOT a FAKE boyfriend. Jeanna really could use this to her advantage... Anyway that spoilery thing I said... well that made me lose my respect for Ayla...
But I must admit there were quite a few cute moments between Luke and Ayla. :) But this book still had some issues... But the treehouse moments were cute...
March 21, 2018
This was a fun read, to sate my guilty pleasure of young adult romance books. I think this book has the potential for a much better story. If I was the author I would go back and do re-writes and I could see this being a much bigger and best seller.
The premise is that nerdy-ish Ayla wants to run for Class President but without a hook, she knows she has no chance of winning. Lucky for her she stumbles onto super popular Luke S. vandalizing a public park and video tapes it on her cell phone. She proceeds to blackmail him into being her boyfriend, to increase her chances of winning.
Just from reading that description I was hooked, I was hoping for more hate to love tension. But from the get-go it wasn't that.
If I was in this author's writers circle, I would suggest the following to make this book stronger (because it has so much potential!)
1. Don't dump all the information right at the beginning, start it out slow and introduce things gradually, we don't need to know all the details of the drama club and newspaper right up front.
2. Build the tension between Luke and Ayla, he should be more cold and upset about being blackmailed, at least initially. They should not become friends so quickly. Would like to see them fight a little bit.
3. Would have liked Ayla to take longer to fall for Luke and to remind herself what this was all about in her mind.
4. Ending was rushed and all too neatly tied up. I liked the happily ever after, but would have liked some angst between the break up and the reveal about why it happened.
I would love to see this book fixed up a little and re-issued, the author has good writing just needs a little improvement in some spots, wish the publisher had worked more with her and this would have been a slam dunk winner!
Still I would recommend for high schoolers who like romance novels, its clean.
The premise is that nerdy-ish Ayla wants to run for Class President but without a hook, she knows she has no chance of winning. Lucky for her she stumbles onto super popular Luke S. vandalizing a public park and video tapes it on her cell phone. She proceeds to blackmail him into being her boyfriend, to increase her chances of winning.
Just from reading that description I was hooked, I was hoping for more hate to love tension. But from the get-go it wasn't that.
If I was in this author's writers circle, I would suggest the following to make this book stronger (because it has so much potential!)
1. Don't dump all the information right at the beginning, start it out slow and introduce things gradually, we don't need to know all the details of the drama club and newspaper right up front.
2. Build the tension between Luke and Ayla, he should be more cold and upset about being blackmailed, at least initially. They should not become friends so quickly. Would like to see them fight a little bit.
3. Would have liked Ayla to take longer to fall for Luke and to remind herself what this was all about in her mind.
4. Ending was rushed and all too neatly tied up. I liked the happily ever after, but would have liked some angst between the break up and the reveal about why it happened.
I would love to see this book fixed up a little and re-issued, the author has good writing just needs a little improvement in some spots, wish the publisher had worked more with her and this would have been a slam dunk winner!
Still I would recommend for high schoolers who like romance novels, its clean.
March 22, 2017
I enjoyed Luke's story in this book. He is a complex character with so much to offer and a great guy. His home life is the best part of this novel.
Ayla, I didn't like as much. Overall she was okay she just had her moments. Ayla is a super geek. She dresses in sci-fi t-shirts and plays video games. She is also a great lover of pizza making her a little curvy. She is passionate about the school paper and the drama club. She wants to help the non-sport extra school activities gain more funding as their budgets are getting cut while the sports teams are getting new supplies. When she was out one night, she catches some of the jocks vandalising public property. She decides to use her incriminating evidence to gain herself a fake boyfriend in the hope it will help her win class president. If she gets this role, she is hoping it will help her to gain funds for the clubs. The bit I didn't get was why jocks would want to help the other clubs when surely the money would be cut from their budget? Her campaign wasn't part of the main story it was about her relationship with her fake boyfriend.
Luke is the guy she wants to entice with the evidence little does she know about his own personal issues. Instead of blackmailing him to help herself win the election she ends up helping the one person who needs her most. I felt this was an unlikely couple pairing, however, I enjoyed reading their blossoming romance.
Geek/ Jock romance novel with a difference. Definitely worth the read for the teen 16+ reader.
4 stars out of 5. Thanks to Entangled crush and Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ayla, I didn't like as much. Overall she was okay she just had her moments. Ayla is a super geek. She dresses in sci-fi t-shirts and plays video games. She is also a great lover of pizza making her a little curvy. She is passionate about the school paper and the drama club. She wants to help the non-sport extra school activities gain more funding as their budgets are getting cut while the sports teams are getting new supplies. When she was out one night, she catches some of the jocks vandalising public property. She decides to use her incriminating evidence to gain herself a fake boyfriend in the hope it will help her win class president. If she gets this role, she is hoping it will help her to gain funds for the clubs. The bit I didn't get was why jocks would want to help the other clubs when surely the money would be cut from their budget? Her campaign wasn't part of the main story it was about her relationship with her fake boyfriend.
Luke is the guy she wants to entice with the evidence little does she know about his own personal issues. Instead of blackmailing him to help herself win the election she ends up helping the one person who needs her most. I felt this was an unlikely couple pairing, however, I enjoyed reading their blossoming romance.
Geek/ Jock romance novel with a difference. Definitely worth the read for the teen 16+ reader.
4 stars out of 5. Thanks to Entangled crush and Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2018
How can you bring about a change if you're a nobody? Date a somebody!
Incriminating Dating is sweet story of trying to fit it, and fight for what you believe in.
The plot is a little predictable yet the author has managed to put a unique spin on the fake turn real relationship story line.
Ayla is comfortable being invisible at school, she has her drama club and newspaper. However when all the funding is being taken away from then she decides to fight back. She is a strong individual, who firmly believes in what she does and who cares almost selflessly for her friends. She will make you laugh, cry and become you idol.
Luke's life is falling apart, yet he has to pretend nothing is wrong. While one of the most popular guys in school, he keeps a low profile, going along with what his friends do, even when he doesn't necessarily agree. The jock is actually a sweetheart. His story will make your heart ache, and his swoon worthiness will make you want to find your own personal Luke.
I enjoyed reading Ayla and Luke's story and recommend it to anybody looking for a relaxing read.
-The Obsessive Book Lover
Incriminating Dating is sweet story of trying to fit it, and fight for what you believe in.
The plot is a little predictable yet the author has managed to put a unique spin on the fake turn real relationship story line.
Ayla is comfortable being invisible at school, she has her drama club and newspaper. However when all the funding is being taken away from then she decides to fight back. She is a strong individual, who firmly believes in what she does and who cares almost selflessly for her friends. She will make you laugh, cry and become you idol.
Luke's life is falling apart, yet he has to pretend nothing is wrong. While one of the most popular guys in school, he keeps a low profile, going along with what his friends do, even when he doesn't necessarily agree. The jock is actually a sweetheart. His story will make your heart ache, and his swoon worthiness will make you want to find your own personal Luke.
I enjoyed reading Ayla and Luke's story and recommend it to anybody looking for a relaxing read.
-The Obsessive Book Lover
March 11, 2021
3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
Not sure how anyone can live in the same town/city as their father for years, but never run into the guy, then imagine he was in Italy all along?! 🙄🙄
There were a lot of plot holes in this story. 😒
Also... I'm overweight, always have been. But I can't see the attraction towards anyone who is obsessed with stuffing pizza and cheesy garlic bread into their face, ALL the time!!! Yet, somehow, the hottest guy around is really into just such a person. Whatever.
And Luke is a virgin?! He's hot, he's popular, he parties with rich kids all the time, he's a sports star at his school, he's got no issue pulling in girls... So what, he's like Edward the Eternally Virginal Sparkly Vampire?! It's just SO not believable. 🙄🙄 I mean, really, does this author not know any teens in real life?!!
Even for a YA romance, I can't ignore the wonky plot or the way Luke insta-bonded with the pizza-maniac (who blackmailed him!!!) for seemingly no good reason. Luke sounded like a lobotomized good-looking mannequin.
And all the soapboxing/virtue signaling was truly tedious.
There are better YA romances out there. So read those instead.
Not sure how anyone can live in the same town/city as their father for years, but never run into the guy, then imagine he was in Italy all along?! 🙄🙄
There were a lot of plot holes in this story. 😒
Also... I'm overweight, always have been. But I can't see the attraction towards anyone who is obsessed with stuffing pizza and cheesy garlic bread into their face, ALL the time!!! Yet, somehow, the hottest guy around is really into just such a person. Whatever.
And Luke is a virgin?! He's hot, he's popular, he parties with rich kids all the time, he's a sports star at his school, he's got no issue pulling in girls... So what, he's like Edward the Eternally Virginal Sparkly Vampire?! It's just SO not believable. 🙄🙄 I mean, really, does this author not know any teens in real life?!!
Even for a YA romance, I can't ignore the wonky plot or the way Luke insta-bonded with the pizza-maniac (who blackmailed him!!!) for seemingly no good reason. Luke sounded like a lobotomized good-looking mannequin.
And all the soapboxing/virtue signaling was truly tedious.
There are better YA romances out there. So read those instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2017
Maybe 1.5 stars... maybe...
A story that is not belivable at all.
A guy who is blackmailed and he never hates the girl.
A girl who in two seconds fall in love with the guy she doesn't tolerate. ( well, perhaps this could happen)
A rich father who doesn't fight for his children because he is scared of hurting them. Oh please! A real father always makes sure that his children are safe and okay. A real father always looks after them, especially if he has money.
A mother than out the blue turned to be the villian.. I mean, really?
And a very disappointing first kiss. (In public and not romantic at all)
A story that is not belivable at all.
A guy who is blackmailed and he never hates the girl.
A girl who in two seconds fall in love with the guy she doesn't tolerate. ( well, perhaps this could happen)
A rich father who doesn't fight for his children because he is scared of hurting them. Oh please! A real father always makes sure that his children are safe and okay. A real father always looks after them, especially if he has money.
A mother than out the blue turned to be the villian.. I mean, really?
And a very disappointing first kiss. (In public and not romantic at all)
July 13, 2017
I totally love a great fauxmance and want a Luke of my own. Incriminating Dating does have some mild adult language and sexual situations, but it has plenty of awesome girl power, and the combination kept me riveted to the book! I have another book hangover thanks to this Entangled Teen Crush! I can't wait to read it in our YA book club, too. I love how Ayla is the perfect candidate to stand up for change in her school against popular incumbent Jenna. The underdog vs. the popular queen-bee bully will resonate with so many teens. Plus, Luke (as the popular basketball player fighting his own demons) falling for Ayla (the drama and newspaper editor geek) is just so perfect.
March 25, 2017
I loved reading "Incriminating Dating' so much that when it came to the climax when things got complicated I just couldn't stand the thought that Luke and Ayla may be torn apart. Gosh, that was suspenseful! I loved the way these two people, coming from different social groups, found out that they had more in common than they thought, and it made me swoon when they always stood up for one another. Lovely swoonworthy novel. I do recommend, especially to nerds who love comic books and super heroes - Ayla is one of us ;)
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