Found Friendship 

Fake Dating 

Very Short Read 

Family Issues 

Light & Fluffy 

 

This is a cute short read if you’re in between other series or looking for that palette cleanser. I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters and how it developed from friendship. There is teenage angst and miscommunication and lying (something all teenagers do, we’ve all been there). The teenagers truly felt like teenagers, so if those are things that frustrate you, I’d move on to something else. 

 

One of the main conflicts is between the FMC (Riley) and her dad. Since the divorce, the two have been struggling to connect with each other. As someone who struggles connecting with their dad, I was really looking forward to seeing growth, conversations, and bonding, but so much of that happens off screen that it was disappointing. 

 

I would have loved to have seen better character descriptions as well as more diversity among the characters. Many were middle class white characters. There is the over-achieving asian best friend and a flirty Latino and I felt those were playing into stereotypes a little too much for my taste. 

 

The ending also felt rushed, especially with the big thing that happens at the end. I wasn’t a fan of that trope at all. I’d have much preferred to see her truly bonding with her dad on screen before this moment. 

 

I also feel this is a great way to introduce young readers to TTR games as well as theater, if those are things they may be interested in. 

 

I think that my biggest issue with the story though is why Riley is being punished in the first place. She drove without a license and took her mom’s car so that her and her friend could go see a musical, but she never seems to see why this was a problem. She is constantly defending the action and refuses to believe it was wrong because it was for the sake of a musical. The fact that the friend had her license and could have driven, but said nothing is slightly frustrating.