How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom

by S. J. Goslee

When Nolan's sister tries to get him a boyfriend, he fake-dates a bad boy instead in this modern gender-bent young adult rom com.
Nolan Grant is sixteen, gay, and very, very single.
He's never had a boyfriend, or even been kissed. It's not like Penn Valley is brimming with prospects. Nolan plans to ride out the rest of his junior year drawing narwhals, working at the greenhouse, and avoiding anything that involves an ounce of school spirit.
Unfortunately for him, his adoptive big sister has other ideas. Ideas that involve too-tight pants, a bag full of purple glitter, and worst of all: a ticket to Prom.

• ISBN10: 1626724016
• ISBN13: 9781626724013
• Publish Date: 1 May 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Roaring Brook Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English

Reviews

[dragononabook]

Oh my, the amount of second hand embarrassment. Seriously, this book is filled with it. However, it is a lighthearted, fun-filled read. It did the fake dating trope in a way that I've not seen it before, and it really worked, no matter how much of a numbskull Nolan was at times.

However, because of the shortness I felt that there was not a huge amount of development. Fake dating should always have pining by the bucket load, and this was a bit more of a glass.

Overall, however, it was an enjoyable read, and it's nice to see the number of mildly embarrassing LGBTQ YA romcoms increase.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I felt the same way after finishing this book as I did when I finished Goslee's debut, Whatever - extremely happy.

Once again, Goslee crafted a fabulous male protagonist, who I fell in insta-love with. Nolan was lucky enough to be adopted as a teen by the hilarious and lovable Sheffield family. He loved art, his cat, plants, narwals, his family, and keeping out of the spotlight, but, his sister, Daphne, had other plans for him. When she staged a promposal for him, which went sideways, Nolan came to an agreement with Bern, and they embarked on a fantastic fauxmance.

I am always game for a fauxmance-romance, and this one had all the elements, that make this trope so deliciously delightful. We had the mini-makeover, the awkward introduction to friends and family, as well the staged closeness needed to sell it to the general public. But, we also had all those feelings that never fail to surface during any fake-dating stories. I must admit, I was excited every time there was any sort of romantic stirring, heightened emotion, or cute banter between Bern and Nolan, because, gosh darn it! I really liked them together.

In addition to the romance, the book featured a fantastic supporting cast. As I previously mentioned, Nolan's family was stupendous! I loved all the competitive gaming, the movie nights, the waffles, and just the genuine love and affection that permeated their home. I think I suffered from the warm-fuzzies every time I was in their presence, and that's a feeling I always want to experience.

I also loved seeing Nolan grow. This fauxmance was great for him, because it pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to branch out. As he widened his circle of friends, he learned a lot about himself, and was definitely better for having fake-dated Bern.

Overall: This was a hilarious and heartwarming story of friendship, family, and fake dating which kept me in stitches and grinning from ear to ear.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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