Probably my favourite thing about The Fine Art of Pretending was the killer dual POV. Getting to see both Aly and Brandon's reactions after certain moments, and to see how they were both feeling at any given point was awesome and slightly frustrating because I wanted to bash their heads together and tell them to just bloody kiss each other already because I was going to EXPLODE!!!!!!! The novel is very much your typical girl and boy are best friends, and don't want anything more, until they decide to fake date and realise they actually do want more fare but Rachel Harris writes it so well that it's as if you could be reading it for the very first time. I love seeing best friends fall in love. It's way better than the instalove you sometimes get because best friends already know all the horrible stuff about their friends and they've seen them at their worst etc.
I just loved Aly and Brandon so much. Both of them, so much. Aly was so cute wanting to change her ways and become "sexy", and Brandon seeing Aly in this new light, even though she's still the same Aly. Ugh. I've never met two people more perfect for each other, and yet been so stubborn about speaking about their feelings. That's the ONLY thing they don't talk about, is feelings. They're so bloody stubborn. It was the worst kind of anticipation to know they both felt the same for each other, but because they didn't say anything, they were both oblivious to the others' feelings. I kinda liked, though, that Aly's friends Gabi and Kara were willing to tell her straight, mind. That's the kinda friends a girl needs. I seriously felt like I knew Aly and Brandon. That they could have been my friends, if I was still 16 or 17, and not 24 and living in Tenerife.
I can't tell you how much I adored The Fine Art of Pretending. It was just everything that I look for in a Contemporary Young Adult novel. A compelling plot (seriously, I love it, why are there not more She's All That related plots in books because I LOVE them!), seriously adorable characters (Brandon, really, I want to marry you, although I would also marry Carlos who seems so sweet and lovely, too and Aly! You are my secret soul BFF I am sure), a fabulous Texas setting (I love Texas, I need to read more books set in Texas) and the most deliciously wonderful romance you could ever hope to read (sigh). It really did blow my socks off, and it ranks very highly in my list of wonderful YA novels, a list that seems to get bigger with every YA book I read. I'm so excited that there's going to be a second novel which is apparently a companion (MORE CARLOS IN MY LIFE, PLEASE RACHEL?! There could seriously be four or five companion novels with all the couples in the book that I would love to keep reading about including Brandon & Aly). Rachel Harris is an author to watch and if you love contemporary YA, and a delectable love story, this is the book for you!
Buy at
Barnes & Noble | Books-a-million | Amazon | Amazon UK | IndieBound
THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING on Goodreads
About Rachel Harris:
Award-winning and Bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls next door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books...and kissing. Lots of kissing.
An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, and LOVES talking with readers.
Links:
Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** GoodreadsThis review was originally posted on Girls Love To Read