I can’t believe it’s been a year and a half since The Way to Game the Walk of Shame was published. I remember smiling the entire time I was reading this book; I loved it so much. When I saw a picture on Swoon Reads Instagram of Jenn’s upcoming release, Fake It Till You Break It, I was tickled pink. I love this premise, and I cannot wait to read it! I had no idea she had another book coming out, but clearly it’s a sign that this review needed to come out of the vault and be dusted off. If you love feel good YA reads but haven’t read The Way to Game the Walk of Shame yet, you’re missing out!
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 7th, 2016
ARC from Netgalley
Taylor Simmons is screwed.
Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.
Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
| Book Review |
I was expecting The Way to Game the Walk of Shame to be heavy read, but it was actually quite fun. I had a huge smile on my face throughout most of this book. Of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that I could picture this entire story line taking place in Tree Hill, one of my favorite fictional places. (Interestingly enough, this book takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina where One Tree Hill was filmed.)
I think this story could have worked either way – a heavy, serious read, or just as it was, light and fun. I love that Evan was so good-natured about everything and thought about the little things in their fake relationship when Taylor didn’t, and the silly things he’d do just to put a smile on her face. They had chemistry from the beginning with the whole opposites attract trope going on. She was pretty high strung about school, organization, and the future, and Evan was carefree about most things. He made Taylor think twice about what it was she really wanted, and she, without even knowing it, influenced him to focus on his future and setting goals for himself. Seeing their feelings develop for each other and actually coming around to admitting them was a fun journey. I also liked their friends in this; Taylor’s was just nosy enough to be funny, but didn’t stick her nose too far in her friend’s business. Evan’s best friend was carefree like he was, but he wasn’t careless. He and Evan had a nice friendship, and his friend was a hoot constantly looking for details about Evan and Taylor’s relationship. Taylor also instantly took Evan’s side in regards to the way his step-father treated him, and it came at a time when Evan really needed to know someone was in his corner. Her family was quite typical with very little drama, so it was a nice balance between the two.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame was a great way to spend an afternoon. It’s a book I know I’ll be reading again and again, and if you’re looking for a fun, flirty, low-angst read, I can’t recommend this one enough. I loved it from the first page to the last!
| Rating |
| Coming Soon |
Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 18th, 2019
Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.
After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.
The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought…
I loved this one, too! It was so good! I can’t wait to read another book by this author. Great review.
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I know! I was so excited when I saw she had another book coming out.
Thank you. 🙂
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Ahhhh, the cuteness. I am not one for high angst so the way the first book was written would be more my style. I didn’t know about these. I’ll have to put the published on my list.
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I hope you get a chance to read this one, Sophia. It was such a fun read, and I think you’d really like it.
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I just love those books that leave you with a smile on your face. They are the best. Glad you enjoyed this one here.
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Thank you! This book definitely had me smiling all the way through!
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This sounds like such a good read. I do remember seeing it around quite a bit when it was released. The new book coming out sounds great as well!
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I know – I’m so excited for her new book!
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This sounds like a fun one. I like when a story surprises you like that.
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Me, too. I love it when a book takes me by surprise in the best way.
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I have yet to read these! I am glad to hear that you enjoyed them so much. They both sound like fantastic reads. 🙂
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I can’t wait to dive into the second! 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try the author. I love her writing.
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I love it when a book leaves smiling from start to finish. This sounds like a fun read.
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It was a fun read! 🙂
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We need more books that make us smile truly! Sometimes I don’t want an ugly cry or complicated feelings but just a feel good book.
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Yes, that’s exactly what this one was!
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The Way to Game the Walk of Shame sounds like a fun read. I love how the two influence each other positively (so important in relationships!). Adding this to my TBR 🙂
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I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Crystal!
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This is sitting on my shelf. I so need to get to it!
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Yes! It was so good! 🙂
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