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Jansen Brothers #1
Ten Rules for Faking It
What happens when your love life becomes the talk of the town?
As birthdays go, this year’s for radio producer Everly Dean hit rock-bottom.
Worse than the “tonsillectomy birthday.” Worse than the birthday her parents decided to split (the first time). But catching your boyfriend cheating on you with his assistant?
Even clichés sting.
But this is Everly’s year! She won’t let her anxiety hold her back. She’ll pitch her podcast idea to her boss.
There’s just one problem.
Her boss, Chris, is very cute. (Of course). Also, he's extremely distant (which means he hates her, right? Or is that the anxiety talking)?
And, Stacey the DJ didn’t mute the mic during Everly’s rant about Simon the Snake (syn: Cheating Ex).
That’s three problems.
Suddenly, people are lining up to date her, Bachelorette-style, fans are voting (Reminder: never leave house again), and her interest in Chris might be a two-way street. It’s a lot for a woman who could gold medal in people-avoidance. She’s going to have to fake it ‘till she makes it to get through all of this.
Perhaps she’ll make a list: The Ten Rules for Faking It.
Because sometimes making the rules can find you happiness when you least expect it.
As birthdays go, this year’s for radio producer Everly Dean hit rock-bottom.
Worse than the “tonsillectomy birthday.” Worse than the birthday her parents decided to split (the first time). But catching your boyfriend cheating on you with his assistant?
Even clichés sting.
But this is Everly’s year! She won’t let her anxiety hold her back. She’ll pitch her podcast idea to her boss.
There’s just one problem.
Her boss, Chris, is very cute. (Of course). Also, he's extremely distant (which means he hates her, right? Or is that the anxiety talking)?
And, Stacey the DJ didn’t mute the mic during Everly’s rant about Simon the Snake (syn: Cheating Ex).
That’s three problems.
Suddenly, people are lining up to date her, Bachelorette-style, fans are voting (Reminder: never leave house again), and her interest in Chris might be a two-way street. It’s a lot for a woman who could gold medal in people-avoidance. She’s going to have to fake it ‘till she makes it to get through all of this.
Perhaps she’ll make a list: The Ten Rules for Faking It.
Because sometimes making the rules can find you happiness when you least expect it.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2020
About the author
Sophie Sullivan
7 books928 followersSOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. Ten Rules For Faking It is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,825 reviews
November 17, 2021
Slow-burn, soft, sweet, easy to read with likable characters and thankfully sweet, kind, adorable hero with great and realistic approach to the anxiety! It’s one of the feel-good romances but I wish it was shorter because way too much depictions and slow paced story-telling made me lose my interest about romantic involvement between characters.
So let’s get look at the blurb: Everly Dean has such a bad luck when it comes to her birthdays. At those days something always unexpected happens just like her thirtieth: she finds her boyfriend hooking up with his assistant. Ouch! The beginning of the story reminds me so many romcoms’ first acts. And of course when her DJ bestie Stacey forgets her mic open when she bickers about her ex-cheating asshole Simon the snake, her day gets even worse as like her growing anxiety attacks. But she doesn’t get humiliated reaction she expects, on contrary the fans want her find her own happiness. Some of them are so keen to date with her. So his sweet and sexy boss Chris sees an opportunity and turns these reactions into a dating contest radio format to boast the radio’s listenership numbers and helps Everly to focus on a new project to overcome her hurt feelings.
Everly finally accepts the conditions: she’s in but one thing she didn’t count before joining this faking date contest, she starts to have complex feelings about her boss and she slowly realizes her feelings are not unrequited.
Well, the story’s slow burning theme was a little bored me and I didn’t find anything original about the premise: I think I had a mash up too many romcoms at the same time. It was fun, entertaining and completely sweet read but I may forget the story-line a few months later. But at least characters are well-developed and the author’s intention to attract attention about the importance of anxiety attacks was remarkable. She drew an objective picture of the illness and conclusion about the story is also satisfying.
So I’m giving three solid stars. I didn’t enjoy too much but there are still concrete, well-written and effective parts kept my attention. As I admitted before if it was a little fast paced with less page numbers, it could be four starred read for me.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this sweet ARC in exchange my honest review.
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So let’s get look at the blurb: Everly Dean has such a bad luck when it comes to her birthdays. At those days something always unexpected happens just like her thirtieth: she finds her boyfriend hooking up with his assistant. Ouch! The beginning of the story reminds me so many romcoms’ first acts. And of course when her DJ bestie Stacey forgets her mic open when she bickers about her ex-cheating asshole Simon the snake, her day gets even worse as like her growing anxiety attacks. But she doesn’t get humiliated reaction she expects, on contrary the fans want her find her own happiness. Some of them are so keen to date with her. So his sweet and sexy boss Chris sees an opportunity and turns these reactions into a dating contest radio format to boast the radio’s listenership numbers and helps Everly to focus on a new project to overcome her hurt feelings.
Everly finally accepts the conditions: she’s in but one thing she didn’t count before joining this faking date contest, she starts to have complex feelings about her boss and she slowly realizes her feelings are not unrequited.
Well, the story’s slow burning theme was a little bored me and I didn’t find anything original about the premise: I think I had a mash up too many romcoms at the same time. It was fun, entertaining and completely sweet read but I may forget the story-line a few months later. But at least characters are well-developed and the author’s intention to attract attention about the importance of anxiety attacks was remarkable. She drew an objective picture of the illness and conclusion about the story is also satisfying.
So I’m giving three solid stars. I didn’t enjoy too much but there are still concrete, well-written and effective parts kept my attention. As I admitted before if it was a little fast paced with less page numbers, it could be four starred read for me.
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this sweet ARC in exchange my honest review.
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September 5, 2020
This book and I really, REALLY didn't mesh well.
First with the good! Ten Rules for Faking It is cute and lighthearted, and I was majorly intrigued by its fun premise: After catching her ex cheating, radio producer Everly Dean accidentally spills her guts on-air—and kicks off a Bachelorette-esque series of dates that will, hopefully, help her step out of her comfort zone and into the big, bold life she's always wanted.
I really appreciated this book's rep of social anxiety, and the myriad ways this impacts Everly's life. (I totally relate to her near-debilitating pre-date jitters.) And it was a really affirming experience to read a character whose thoughts have crossed my mind before, too:
I think that other readers will probably enjoy Everly and Chris's story more than I did; it was mostly a chemistry thing (or lack thereof) for me. So I’m going to try my best to articulate what didn’t sit well with me personally.
There were a couple little things that rubbed me the wrong way (Everly's use of the word "spaz" to describe herself at one point; the constant mention of characters "aging gracefully").* It also bothered me that Chris's sister was portrayed as an airhead heiress who needed to be distracted with spa weekends, to keep from getting in the way of him and his uber-successful, rich, smart brothers.
My biggest gripes, though, have to do with the main characters themselves. I didn't find the romance between Everly and Chris to be compelling whatsoever; their chemistry was lukewarm, and I wasn't invested in either of them. Chris's intense devotion to Everly without even knowing her was kind of off-putting to me; the more instalove stories I read, the less I'm able to tolerate them. A LOT of the chapters in his POV are spent waxing poetic about Everly's *amazing* qualities—qualities that I, frankly, did not associate with her.
Sometimes, it also felt to me like Everly used her chutzpah more to lash out at her loved ones than to address her own self-flagellation and the problematic people in her life —including her ex, Simon, and her weirdly oversexed parents.
Finally, I think it's worth mentioning that, as far as I could tell (and I was looking), the book features only straight white characters. (Two sentences about lesbians doesn't really cut it, frankly.) It's 2020 and I'm over reading stories without diversity.
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
I want to end on a positive note, so I've saved my favourite part of the book for last. I really enjoyed the generative conversations that Everly engages in at the end—with her parents, with Chris, Owen, and Stacey, with herself—about love and long-term happiness. She grapples with questions such as: What does commitment look like in the long run? How do you know when it's time to let someone go? How do you even open yourself up to this sort of hurt? As someone who's also struggling to balance vulnerability and risk-taking, I really appreciated that the book touches on these nuances.
* any quotes will be checked & updated when the book is published on January 5th, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
First with the good! Ten Rules for Faking It is cute and lighthearted, and I was majorly intrigued by its fun premise: After catching her ex cheating, radio producer Everly Dean accidentally spills her guts on-air—and kicks off a Bachelorette-esque series of dates that will, hopefully, help her step out of her comfort zone and into the big, bold life she's always wanted.
I really appreciated this book's rep of social anxiety, and the myriad ways this impacts Everly's life. (I totally relate to her near-debilitating pre-date jitters.) And it was a really affirming experience to read a character whose thoughts have crossed my mind before, too:
Of all the anxiety-related issues she cataloged as just part of who she was, the one that bugged her most was not knowing what caused the restless uncertainty inside of her.*
I think that other readers will probably enjoy Everly and Chris's story more than I did; it was mostly a chemistry thing (or lack thereof) for me. So I’m going to try my best to articulate what didn’t sit well with me personally.
There were a couple little things that rubbed me the wrong way (Everly's use of the word "spaz" to describe herself at one point; the constant mention of characters "aging gracefully").* It also bothered me that Chris's sister was portrayed as an airhead heiress who needed to be distracted with spa weekends, to keep from getting in the way of him and his uber-successful, rich, smart brothers.
My biggest gripes, though, have to do with the main characters themselves. I didn't find the romance between Everly and Chris to be compelling whatsoever; their chemistry was lukewarm, and I wasn't invested in either of them. Chris's intense devotion to Everly without even knowing her was kind of off-putting to me; the more instalove stories I read, the less I'm able to tolerate them. A LOT of the chapters in his POV are spent waxing poetic about Everly's *amazing* qualities—qualities that I, frankly, did not associate with her.
Sometimes, it also felt to me like Everly used her chutzpah more to lash out at her loved ones than to address her own self-flagellation and the problematic people in her life —including her ex, Simon, and her weirdly oversexed parents.
Finally, I think it's worth mentioning that, as far as I could tell (and I was looking), the book features only straight white characters. (Two sentences about lesbians doesn't really cut it, frankly.) It's 2020 and I'm over reading stories without diversity.
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
I want to end on a positive note, so I've saved my favourite part of the book for last. I really enjoyed the generative conversations that Everly engages in at the end—with her parents, with Chris, Owen, and Stacey, with herself—about love and long-term happiness. She grapples with questions such as: What does commitment look like in the long run? How do you know when it's time to let someone go? How do you even open yourself up to this sort of hurt? As someone who's also struggling to balance vulnerability and risk-taking, I really appreciated that the book touches on these nuances.
* any quotes will be checked & updated when the book is published on January 5th, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 16, 2020
The Bachelorette Radio Style!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💜💛💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📔
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤
The setting: California
The Hero(s): Chris – His father owns the radio station and Chris is the station manager, only working there sort of as a proving ground before he can before he can work as the head of communications for his fathers companies in New York.
The heroine: Everly – She is a radio producer and she has social anxiety which is a big part of the story and is handled very well. Everly hates birthdays and on her 30th, she finds her boyfriend in bed with his assistant. She mistakenly blurts it out on the air and ends up getting a lot of offers from guys that say they will treat her better than her ex.
The Love Story: Chris has always had a thing for Everly, but knowing he is a short-timer at the station and in California, he tried his best too keep her at arms length. Once the unfortunate incident occurs on her birthday, he comes up with an idea for the station and it means working more closely with her.
I liked Everly, especially since she is doing more to put herself out there. She is fighting her anxiety and her fears to try new things because she wants better for herself. I know how it is to be more comfortable staying home and watching Veronica Mars than to go out in public on a date or to a party. I really liked how the author portrayed Everly.
The romance between Chris and Everly at times seemed way too timid. Chris is sometimes almost as unsure of himself as Everly which doesn’t really fit with a station manager who lived in New York and comes from a wealthy family. I would think he would be more sure of himself with women. I hate in books when people keep denying their feelings over and over. Though I did like the book overall. I liked the setting, the world building was great and the supporting characters were terrific.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💜💛💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📔
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤
The setting: California
The Hero(s): Chris – His father owns the radio station and Chris is the station manager, only working there sort of as a proving ground before he can before he can work as the head of communications for his fathers companies in New York.
The heroine: Everly – She is a radio producer and she has social anxiety which is a big part of the story and is handled very well. Everly hates birthdays and on her 30th, she finds her boyfriend in bed with his assistant. She mistakenly blurts it out on the air and ends up getting a lot of offers from guys that say they will treat her better than her ex.
The Love Story: Chris has always had a thing for Everly, but knowing he is a short-timer at the station and in California, he tried his best too keep her at arms length. Once the unfortunate incident occurs on her birthday, he comes up with an idea for the station and it means working more closely with her.
I liked Everly, especially since she is doing more to put herself out there. She is fighting her anxiety and her fears to try new things because she wants better for herself. I know how it is to be more comfortable staying home and watching Veronica Mars than to go out in public on a date or to a party. I really liked how the author portrayed Everly.
The romance between Chris and Everly at times seemed way too timid. Chris is sometimes almost as unsure of himself as Everly which doesn’t really fit with a station manager who lived in New York and comes from a wealthy family. I would think he would be more sure of himself with women. I hate in books when people keep denying their feelings over and over. Though I did like the book overall. I liked the setting, the world building was great and the supporting characters were terrific.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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July 1, 2023
**2.5-stars rounded up**
Everly Dean is a radio producer, who on her 30th-birthday catches her boyfriend with another woman. Not a great way to start the day.
Arriving at work after the run-in, she proceeds to rant to her coworker, Stacey, who also happens to be her best friend and the DJ at the station. Unfortunately, the microphone was on for the full rant and now all their listeners know Everly's love life is a mess.
Trying to spin a negative into a positive, Everly agrees to participate in a Bachelorette-style dating show hosted by the station. Their numbers have been struggling and it may boost their ratings just enough to keep them going.
This is a really tough sell for Everly. She suffers from severe social anxiety, so even the thought of going out on a series of random dates with a bunch of strangers causes her to hyperventilate.
Her cute boss, Chris, the one who doesn't seem to like her at all, thinks it is a great idea though; as does Stacey. She'll give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen?
As it turns out, the dates aren't too bad, but Everly can't stop thinking about her boss.
Alternating between Chris and Everly's perspective, the Reader gets a front row seat to all of their pinings, doubts and insecurities, as an adorable friendship develops.
The first half of this book, I was pretty into it. I liked the characters and although it had a slower pace, I enjoyed reading about their friendships and issues.
Everly's anxieties were relatable and I thought she was doing a great job getting outside of her comfort zone, while simultaneously working at lowering her defenses.
I really liked Chris as well. He was in a difficult position. His father owns the radio station, but he didn't want any of the employees to know. He wanted to be judged based on his own merit, not because of the fact that his father is super rich.
Chis has a huge crush on Everly, but doesn't feel like he is in a position to make a move, considering he is her boss. That makes sense. I get that.
Everything was going along nicely, but then somewhere around the 80% mark, it just went off the rails.
It got beyond frustrating. I actually started to get angry with the characters and the way things were going. I was yelling at them. Literally exclaiming things randomly while reading.
Everly ended up turning into one of my least favorite characters ever. She was so rigid. Holding everyone to these impossibly high standards. It was so freaking aggravating.
It was like she had never made a mistake before. She's a 30-year old woman, judging people based upon decisions they made when they were 20-freaking years old.
I don't know, something about that just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't get over that distaste once it was in my head and the rest of the story suffered for it.
I rounded up to 3-stars, because I feel like this has the workings to be a good story, and if you don't have the same issues with Everly that I did, this could work for you. Unfortunately, it just wasn't a great fit for me.
I did adore Chris though. He deserves better, in my opinion, than the end of this book.
Also, although this didn't have an impact on my rating, I know for a lot of Romance Readers it might, there is zero steam in this story. There is more steam in a Hallmark movie than in this book, so if that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I do appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.
While this didn't knock it out of the park for me, I would definitely try more from Sophie Sullivan.
Everly Dean is a radio producer, who on her 30th-birthday catches her boyfriend with another woman. Not a great way to start the day.
Arriving at work after the run-in, she proceeds to rant to her coworker, Stacey, who also happens to be her best friend and the DJ at the station. Unfortunately, the microphone was on for the full rant and now all their listeners know Everly's love life is a mess.
Trying to spin a negative into a positive, Everly agrees to participate in a Bachelorette-style dating show hosted by the station. Their numbers have been struggling and it may boost their ratings just enough to keep them going.
This is a really tough sell for Everly. She suffers from severe social anxiety, so even the thought of going out on a series of random dates with a bunch of strangers causes her to hyperventilate.
Her cute boss, Chris, the one who doesn't seem to like her at all, thinks it is a great idea though; as does Stacey. She'll give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen?
As it turns out, the dates aren't too bad, but Everly can't stop thinking about her boss.
Alternating between Chris and Everly's perspective, the Reader gets a front row seat to all of their pinings, doubts and insecurities, as an adorable friendship develops.
The first half of this book, I was pretty into it. I liked the characters and although it had a slower pace, I enjoyed reading about their friendships and issues.
Everly's anxieties were relatable and I thought she was doing a great job getting outside of her comfort zone, while simultaneously working at lowering her defenses.
I really liked Chris as well. He was in a difficult position. His father owns the radio station, but he didn't want any of the employees to know. He wanted to be judged based on his own merit, not because of the fact that his father is super rich.
Chis has a huge crush on Everly, but doesn't feel like he is in a position to make a move, considering he is her boss. That makes sense. I get that.
Everything was going along nicely, but then somewhere around the 80% mark, it just went off the rails.
It got beyond frustrating. I actually started to get angry with the characters and the way things were going. I was yelling at them. Literally exclaiming things randomly while reading.
Everly ended up turning into one of my least favorite characters ever. She was so rigid. Holding everyone to these impossibly high standards. It was so freaking aggravating.
It was like she had never made a mistake before. She's a 30-year old woman, judging people based upon decisions they made when they were 20-freaking years old.
I don't know, something about that just rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't get over that distaste once it was in my head and the rest of the story suffered for it.
I rounded up to 3-stars, because I feel like this has the workings to be a good story, and if you don't have the same issues with Everly that I did, this could work for you. Unfortunately, it just wasn't a great fit for me.
I did adore Chris though. He deserves better, in my opinion, than the end of this book.
Also, although this didn't have an impact on my rating, I know for a lot of Romance Readers it might, there is zero steam in this story. There is more steam in a Hallmark movie than in this book, so if that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.
Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I do appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.
While this didn't knock it out of the park for me, I would definitely try more from Sophie Sullivan.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
January 17, 2021DNF @ ~40%: I'm sad to say that this book just did not work for me. It wasn't necessarily a terrible book, but even after 150 pages I really struggled to connect to or care at all about the characters or anything that was happening. I also found myself rolling my eyes a bit at the cheesiness of the way the dialogue / inner monologues were written and I just got to a point where I couldn't look past it any further. Overall, this book wasn't The Worst, but it just did absolutely nothing for me and I didn't want to force myself to finish when I knew I wouldn't have rated it more than 2 stars in the end. Womp.
January 18, 2021
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
ten rules for faking it by sophie sullivan opens with radio producer everly dean reeling after learning that her boyfriend simon is cheating—and on her birthday no less. what follows is a furious rant about his betrayal blasted to an audience of live listeners and all because everly's best friend stacey didn't mute the mic in time. if this premise sounds flimsy, that's because it is. that an experienced radio dj of many years and one who intimately understands the contours of her best friend's social anxiety would not know to immediately cut everly off and transition to music before allowing her to vent through her very fresh humiliation seems implausible, if not inconceivably sloppy.
but ten rules for faking it relies on this premise to launch the radio station into a bachelorette-style dating competition put together by radio supervisor and resident love interest chris jansen. i feel comfortable calling him that because it is established practically from the moment that he's introduced. his most notable feature is that he is infatuated with his employee everly as soon as we meet him, though he's been working with her for about a year when the novel opens. not only does this serve to warp the pacing and evolution of their romance, it also tinges every single action he takes from the onset with strange, borderline creepy undertones.
"she was the toughest woman he'd ever met," mere minutes in reader time into establishing that chris is everly's boss—in other words, on the first page of chapter three—completely undercuts the power of this statement. the greatest realizations in romance novels are those reached after time and hard work. they are most convincing when the narrative offers a substantial amount of characterization and development to back them up. outlandishly romantic statements like these from chris' chapters come with none of that development or even characterization, effectively rendering them meaningless.
i don't know what to call this, because it's technically not insta-love, considering chris has known everly for a year now. but we have only known chris and everly for two chapters by this point, meaning we've had about 30 minutes of insight into their dynamic—less if you're an especially quick reader—out of the eight hours of reading we're due to receive from ten rules for faking it.
let's call it retroactive love, then. chris has realized his feelings offscreen before the book even begins—and in fact admits at several points that he liked everly as soon as he saw her—an absolutely absurd choice when considering the pacing of a romance novel this long. as for everly? well, she recognizes that chris is attractive in vague terms at a couple points, so hey, let's call it even. or..."there were plenty more reasons she could think of—he only just started talking to her and acting like she was there."
...after a year, for no reason other than that she's become suddenly available in the wake of her cheating ex...?
one of the more recent romcoms i read didn't introduce the love interest until the third act and this one introduces him from the get-go without ever actually fleshing his feelings out. i'm more than a little mind-boggled, since i feel like it's generally agreed that hard-fought mutual pining is textbook romance and the genre's greatest draw. where is the satisfaction in unearned pining? there is none. all it does is create a tension imbalance between both leads—one that is only exacerbated by the power imbalance of a boss pining after his unwitting employee.
more than that, though, the developmental leaps are rushed, at times outright bewildering. in chapter three, chris is already looking up everly's home address and swinging by with food unannounced. as someone with social anxiety, i cannot imagine ever being okay with that breach of privacy, even after a year of working with someone, particularly a supervisor. but everly doesn't blink twice.
i can't tell you how head-scratching it is to read the words, "his arms itched to wrap her up in a hug, but he wasn't sure if she'd accept it, if it would be over the line, or if he'd be doing it more for himself," after knowing a lead and her boss for two and a half chapters. this man is ready to settle down and marry everly 10% into the book. there is no gradual transition into feelings, no real sense of resistance or responsibility as her supervisor, next to no bargaining or professional guilt. no. in three chapters, he's holding her hand and calling her "ev" without warning, after seemingly no signs from everly that she returns his feelings, something even acknowledged by the narrative itself: "she jolted at the nickname. it'd come out of nowhere and, sadly, felt right."
this is not to say chris is written grossly, because he isn't. surprisingly, he's considerate and accommodating throughout the novel. one of the more refreshing parts of ten rules for faking it is how well-attuned he is to everly and her social anxiety, how that might interfere with her professional needs, what she wants and requires every step of the way—even if it is stretching the limits of my imagination.
which leads me to my next point. the skewed romantic pacing becomes far weirder when we come to realize that chris, a recent and even temporary supervisor of only twelve months, seems to know everly better than her best friend of several years. he even has to lecture stacey on her missteps:
this becomes a running theme throughout the novel. stacey the best friend continues to commit wild transgressions as someone we're to believe knows and understands everly's very severe social anxiety. she's a willing participant in the orchestration of a surprise birthday party for everly, knowing everly hates her birthday, surprises, and large social gatherings. you'd think after years of friendship, she'd have a better sense for when everly needs space, when she has to disengage and get away, when she wants to catch her breath. instead:
and all because everly wants to extricate herself from an emotionally draining situation and go home. the guilt-tripping is so strange and out of place, i can't be sure it doesn't exist to make chris seem like more of a hero to everly. yet it's her who's forced to apologize to stacey for this hiccup, so it's hard to really say if the narrative even recognizes how irrationally judgmental it is to blow up at your anxious best friend for trying to escape a distressing situation.
this is not to mention some of the more nit-picky issues i took with the novel. a lot of these little issues i often find myself encountering in the romance genre:
1. the minor characters are not just neglected in favor of the leads, they're near nonexistent, making chris' constant spiels about finding a family with the staff at his station and everly's excitement over new friendships hard to believe:
...did you not just say the same thing in three different ways while telling us virtually nothing about these people?
2. dialogue without any substance / dialogue that uses repeating phrases verbatim across characters
3. language that tends towards the generic or eyebrow-raising ("...she was like invisible lighting."—huh?).
if it seems like i glossed over the bachelorette competition, that's because it had little to no actual presence or bearing on the plot. instead, it was a device designed to—apparently?—raise the stakes for chris and everly, though even that is a stretch.
to conclude, chris and his brothers' angsty rich boy problems weren't compelling, nor was the idea of his family monopolizing communication companies. his sister getting stuck with a few passing mentions that wrote her off as a ditzy airhead with no talent seemed to check out when set against the maybe two lines the only two gay (in this case, lesbian) characters in the book got. oh, and as far as i can tell everyone was wealthy and white.
it's so frustrating that this book laid out so many interesting concepts and then did nothing with them. i can't help but imagine how much more satisfying the premise of ten rules for faking it would have been had the book opened with a chris who was struggling to find his footing at the station and establish rapport with his employees as a recent company implant, someone who initially took the work for granted and was then forced to reckon with the fact that real people exist within the companies his father likes to buy up, if maybe he and everly didn't start developing feelings until the dating competition began and he was forced to get to know her and her romantic interests—and then readers could watch everly's reluctance and chris' jealousy develop and grow as she went on more and more dates.
instead, chris was near-perfect in the narrative's eyes and never had to truly struggle to get where he needed to be. in that sense, i suppose he perfectly represented the rich white heterosexual male reaping the rewards of his father's nepotism. of the two, everly was definitely more compelling, and i liked seeing someone with social anxiety navigate dating, even if it was at times poorly executed.
overall, i don't have too many positive things to say about ten rules for faking it, aside from the fact that a small ios voice to text dictation mishap in the middle of the novel made me briefly chuckle at one point. i did appreciate the presence of and discussions around mental illness, establishing boundaries with overbearing parents, and grappling with unhealthy relationships, even if this book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea.
ten rules for faking it by sophie sullivan opens with radio producer everly dean reeling after learning that her boyfriend simon is cheating—and on her birthday no less. what follows is a furious rant about his betrayal blasted to an audience of live listeners and all because everly's best friend stacey didn't mute the mic in time. if this premise sounds flimsy, that's because it is. that an experienced radio dj of many years and one who intimately understands the contours of her best friend's social anxiety would not know to immediately cut everly off and transition to music before allowing her to vent through her very fresh humiliation seems implausible, if not inconceivably sloppy.
but ten rules for faking it relies on this premise to launch the radio station into a bachelorette-style dating competition put together by radio supervisor and resident love interest chris jansen. i feel comfortable calling him that because it is established practically from the moment that he's introduced. his most notable feature is that he is infatuated with his employee everly as soon as we meet him, though he's been working with her for about a year when the novel opens. not only does this serve to warp the pacing and evolution of their romance, it also tinges every single action he takes from the onset with strange, borderline creepy undertones.
"she was the toughest woman he'd ever met," mere minutes in reader time into establishing that chris is everly's boss—in other words, on the first page of chapter three—completely undercuts the power of this statement. the greatest realizations in romance novels are those reached after time and hard work. they are most convincing when the narrative offers a substantial amount of characterization and development to back them up. outlandishly romantic statements like these from chris' chapters come with none of that development or even characterization, effectively rendering them meaningless.
i don't know what to call this, because it's technically not insta-love, considering chris has known everly for a year now. but we have only known chris and everly for two chapters by this point, meaning we've had about 30 minutes of insight into their dynamic—less if you're an especially quick reader—out of the eight hours of reading we're due to receive from ten rules for faking it.
let's call it retroactive love, then. chris has realized his feelings offscreen before the book even begins—and in fact admits at several points that he liked everly as soon as he saw her—an absolutely absurd choice when considering the pacing of a romance novel this long. as for everly? well, she recognizes that chris is attractive in vague terms at a couple points, so hey, let's call it even. or..."there were plenty more reasons she could think of—he only just started talking to her and acting like she was there."
...after a year, for no reason other than that she's become suddenly available in the wake of her cheating ex...?
one of the more recent romcoms i read didn't introduce the love interest until the third act and this one introduces him from the get-go without ever actually fleshing his feelings out. i'm more than a little mind-boggled, since i feel like it's generally agreed that hard-fought mutual pining is textbook romance and the genre's greatest draw. where is the satisfaction in unearned pining? there is none. all it does is create a tension imbalance between both leads—one that is only exacerbated by the power imbalance of a boss pining after his unwitting employee.
more than that, though, the developmental leaps are rushed, at times outright bewildering. in chapter three, chris is already looking up everly's home address and swinging by with food unannounced. as someone with social anxiety, i cannot imagine ever being okay with that breach of privacy, even after a year of working with someone, particularly a supervisor. but everly doesn't blink twice.
i can't tell you how head-scratching it is to read the words, "his arms itched to wrap her up in a hug, but he wasn't sure if she'd accept it, if it would be over the line, or if he'd be doing it more for himself," after knowing a lead and her boss for two and a half chapters. this man is ready to settle down and marry everly 10% into the book. there is no gradual transition into feelings, no real sense of resistance or responsibility as her supervisor, next to no bargaining or professional guilt. no. in three chapters, he's holding her hand and calling her "ev" without warning, after seemingly no signs from everly that she returns his feelings, something even acknowledged by the narrative itself: "she jolted at the nickname. it'd come out of nowhere and, sadly, felt right."
this is not to say chris is written grossly, because he isn't. surprisingly, he's considerate and accommodating throughout the novel. one of the more refreshing parts of ten rules for faking it is how well-attuned he is to everly and her social anxiety, how that might interfere with her professional needs, what she wants and requires every step of the way—even if it is stretching the limits of my imagination.
which leads me to my next point. the skewed romantic pacing becomes far weirder when we come to realize that chris, a recent and even temporary supervisor of only twelve months, seems to know everly better than her best friend of several years. he even has to lecture stacey on her missteps:
"'what were you thinking, going live like that? she constantly shies away from being in the limelight, but you thought it'd be a good idea to put her on the radio?'"
this becomes a running theme throughout the novel. stacey the best friend continues to commit wild transgressions as someone we're to believe knows and understands everly's very severe social anxiety. she's a willing participant in the orchestration of a surprise birthday party for everly, knowing everly hates her birthday, surprises, and large social gatherings. you'd think after years of friendship, she'd have a better sense for when everly needs space, when she has to disengage and get away, when she wants to catch her breath. instead:
"'why is it the people who love you don't get to have an impact on your actions or how you feel about yourself? you'll let some creep you dated for five minutes chase you out of a building but won't take any of us at our word that you deserve better?'"
and all because everly wants to extricate herself from an emotionally draining situation and go home. the guilt-tripping is so strange and out of place, i can't be sure it doesn't exist to make chris seem like more of a hero to everly. yet it's her who's forced to apologize to stacey for this hiccup, so it's hard to really say if the narrative even recognizes how irrationally judgmental it is to blow up at your anxious best friend for trying to escape a distressing situation.
this is not to mention some of the more nit-picky issues i took with the novel. a lot of these little issues i often find myself encountering in the romance genre:
1. the minor characters are not just neglected in favor of the leads, they're near nonexistent, making chris' constant spiels about finding a family with the staff at his station and everly's excitement over new friendships hard to believe:
"it made her realize she didn't really know the people she worked with. jane was much less reserved with her girlfriend around, luke was far more affectionate with his wife than she would have expected of the gruff and tough janitor, and mari was far less serious."
...did you not just say the same thing in three different ways while telling us virtually nothing about these people?
2. dialogue without any substance / dialogue that uses repeating phrases verbatim across characters
3. language that tends towards the generic or eyebrow-raising ("...she was like invisible lighting."—huh?).
if it seems like i glossed over the bachelorette competition, that's because it had little to no actual presence or bearing on the plot. instead, it was a device designed to—apparently?—raise the stakes for chris and everly, though even that is a stretch.
to conclude, chris and his brothers' angsty rich boy problems weren't compelling, nor was the idea of his family monopolizing communication companies. his sister getting stuck with a few passing mentions that wrote her off as a ditzy airhead with no talent seemed to check out when set against the maybe two lines the only two gay (in this case, lesbian) characters in the book got. oh, and as far as i can tell everyone was wealthy and white.
it's so frustrating that this book laid out so many interesting concepts and then did nothing with them. i can't help but imagine how much more satisfying the premise of ten rules for faking it would have been had the book opened with a chris who was struggling to find his footing at the station and establish rapport with his employees as a recent company implant, someone who initially took the work for granted and was then forced to reckon with the fact that real people exist within the companies his father likes to buy up, if maybe he and everly didn't start developing feelings until the dating competition began and he was forced to get to know her and her romantic interests—and then readers could watch everly's reluctance and chris' jealousy develop and grow as she went on more and more dates.
instead, chris was near-perfect in the narrative's eyes and never had to truly struggle to get where he needed to be. in that sense, i suppose he perfectly represented the rich white heterosexual male reaping the rewards of his father's nepotism. of the two, everly was definitely more compelling, and i liked seeing someone with social anxiety navigate dating, even if it was at times poorly executed.
overall, i don't have too many positive things to say about ten rules for faking it, aside from the fact that a small ios voice to text dictation mishap in the middle of the novel made me briefly chuckle at one point. i did appreciate the presence of and discussions around mental illness, establishing boundaries with overbearing parents, and grappling with unhealthy relationships, even if this book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea.
July 24, 2020
Romance novels have slowly become my go-to genre and I'm not mad about it. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't it for me.
I always feel bad giving two-star reviews. I only ever give one-star reviews to the worst of the worst and give three stars to everything that was alright but not that great. So, two stars always hang somewhere in the middle all awkwardly and it makes me feel bad. But, here we are. A two-star review of a book that I had some problems with, didn't really manage to entertain me but wasn't by any means a horribly written novel.
My favorite part of any story is always the characters. In romance novels especially. Unfortunately, I didn't quite like these characters the way I wanted to. While the characters as individuals are fine enough, this is a romance novel and as such, I excepted a little more romance. Instead, the characters spend most of their time apart, doing their own things, making their relationship seem a bit shallow and insta-loveish despite the fact that they've known each other for a while. And while I'm all for a slow burn, having the characters take so long to come together made the story drag, in my opinion.
On top of not getting the romantic experience I expected, I didn't care about the things happening outside of the romance. I wasn't invested in Chris' problems with his father, or in Everly's problems with just about everything else.
One thing I did like was the representation of Everly's anxiety. I feel like not many novels, especially romance novels, focus on mental health like that. Sadly, this was not enough to make me love this novel.
In the end, this just wasn't the book that I was looking for. That doesn't mean it won't necessarily be the book for you. As I said, it wasn't horrible, I just wasn't all that entertained or drawn in by it. So, I cannot in good conscience say I necessarily recommend this one. Still, I hope you like it if you decide to give it a shot.
**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
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I always feel bad giving two-star reviews. I only ever give one-star reviews to the worst of the worst and give three stars to everything that was alright but not that great. So, two stars always hang somewhere in the middle all awkwardly and it makes me feel bad. But, here we are. A two-star review of a book that I had some problems with, didn't really manage to entertain me but wasn't by any means a horribly written novel.
My favorite part of any story is always the characters. In romance novels especially. Unfortunately, I didn't quite like these characters the way I wanted to. While the characters as individuals are fine enough, this is a romance novel and as such, I excepted a little more romance. Instead, the characters spend most of their time apart, doing their own things, making their relationship seem a bit shallow and insta-loveish despite the fact that they've known each other for a while. And while I'm all for a slow burn, having the characters take so long to come together made the story drag, in my opinion.
On top of not getting the romantic experience I expected, I didn't care about the things happening outside of the romance. I wasn't invested in Chris' problems with his father, or in Everly's problems with just about everything else.
One thing I did like was the representation of Everly's anxiety. I feel like not many novels, especially romance novels, focus on mental health like that. Sadly, this was not enough to make me love this novel.
In the end, this just wasn't the book that I was looking for. That doesn't mean it won't necessarily be the book for you. As I said, it wasn't horrible, I just wasn't all that entertained or drawn in by it. So, I cannot in good conscience say I necessarily recommend this one. Still, I hope you like it if you decide to give it a shot.
**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
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August 9, 2023
At this point I think it's safe to say that Sophie Sullivan is my go to author.
I have read every one of her books, even reread some of them.
Fun fact is, although I enjoy every single book she wrote, I still haven't find a 5 stars champion.
Yet, as I find her writing style comfortable for some reason, her novels are one I like to lose myself into over and over again.
Ten Rules for Faking it was Sullivan's debut novel and it follows a woman called Everly who is producer on radio station in a small town in California, on a journey to find the one after she caught her boyfriend in the bed with his assistent.
We also follow Chris who is Everly's boss and likes her a lot, but doesn't want to act on his feelings as his position in California is not perminent, plus he doesn't want to admit to himself that he's falling for his employee (and there is that company rule where collegues are forbidden to date).
The book is written in third person. I already stated that I enjoy Sullivan's writing style. It is easy to follow and simple, and the whole story is entertaining.
Out of all of her books that are out there, this is probably my favourite one, but A Guide to Being just friends is very close to beat it (I plan to reread it soon to make my decision).
Overall, if you like clean romance (there is no smut at all) you will probably enjoy this one.
I have read every one of her books, even reread some of them.
Fun fact is, although I enjoy every single book she wrote, I still haven't find a 5 stars champion.
Yet, as I find her writing style comfortable for some reason, her novels are one I like to lose myself into over and over again.
Ten Rules for Faking it was Sullivan's debut novel and it follows a woman called Everly who is producer on radio station in a small town in California, on a journey to find the one after she caught her boyfriend in the bed with his assistent.
We also follow Chris who is Everly's boss and likes her a lot, but doesn't want to act on his feelings as his position in California is not perminent, plus he doesn't want to admit to himself that he's falling for his employee (and there is that company rule where collegues are forbidden to date).
The book is written in third person. I already stated that I enjoy Sullivan's writing style. It is easy to follow and simple, and the whole story is entertaining.
Out of all of her books that are out there, this is probably my favourite one, but A Guide to Being just friends is very close to beat it (I plan to reread it soon to make my decision).
Overall, if you like clean romance (there is no smut at all) you will probably enjoy this one.
January 9, 2021
10 reasons to Read This Book.
• this was a delightful feel good story with a “The Bachelor” vibe.
• Sophie Sullivan has put a fun fresh spin on the romcom.
• The radio station setting was fun.
• we can all relate to how mortified Everly must’ve felt when her BFF Stacey announces on the radio that she caught her boyfriend cheating on her on her birthday.
• Chris was a great guy and I liked the cute chemistry between Everly and him.
• stacey was such a great supportive friend. Loved the friendship between these ladies.
• Everly‘s family was hilarious, definitely added some laughs to the story.
• The portrayal of social anxiety was handled thoughtfully in the story. It was done in a very realistic relatable way.
• Rebecca Gibel does a fantastic job in narrating the audiobook.
• we all need a feel good uplifting romcom in our life about now!
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
• this was a delightful feel good story with a “The Bachelor” vibe.
• Sophie Sullivan has put a fun fresh spin on the romcom.
• The radio station setting was fun.
• we can all relate to how mortified Everly must’ve felt when her BFF Stacey announces on the radio that she caught her boyfriend cheating on her on her birthday.
• Chris was a great guy and I liked the cute chemistry between Everly and him.
• stacey was such a great supportive friend. Loved the friendship between these ladies.
• Everly‘s family was hilarious, definitely added some laughs to the story.
• The portrayal of social anxiety was handled thoughtfully in the story. It was done in a very realistic relatable way.
• Rebecca Gibel does a fantastic job in narrating the audiobook.
• we all need a feel good uplifting romcom in our life about now!
*** Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press & Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
January 11, 2021
Ten Rules for Faking It is a fun romantic comedy. The characters are great. Everly has social anxiety which makes it hard for her to get close to people. Dating multiple men is not something she has ever done before and sometimes too much for her. Stacey is a great friend and always there for Everly. She accepts Everly’s social anxiety. Chris and Everly soon develop a friendship, and Chris is there for Everly when she needs support. This story is cute and funny.
I recommend Ten Rules for Faking It to fans of Christina Lauren and Sophie Kinsella.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for Ten Rules for Faking It.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I recommend Ten Rules for Faking It to fans of Christina Lauren and Sophie Kinsella.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for Ten Rules for Faking It.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
February 24, 2021
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review'
I mostly skipped around to the cute parts. I like the theme of mental health. Overall, a good romance novel.
- - - - - -
already kinda feeling 'eh' but we'll see what happens
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I mostly skipped around to the cute parts. I like the theme of mental health. Overall, a good romance novel.
- - - - - -
already kinda feeling 'eh' but we'll see what happens
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September 18, 2021
I just read this as a break for the more complex books I'm reading at the moment. I wanted something mindless that would distract me and take me away. This wasn't it. I'm so sorry, I just found it really boring. I skimmed through most of it, to be honest. The beginning was SO HARD to get into, it just felt super slow.
I guess I'm not the type to read sweet corny romances.
I guess I'm not the type to read sweet corny romances.
March 9, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although there were certain parts of this book that I did like, I didn't really feel all too invested in it, or the romance (which is really a shame, because the romance basically makes up the entire book).
Everly Dean is a radio producer who loves her job and hates her birthday. On the morning of her thirtieth birthday, she walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her, and accidentally blurts it out to the whole world. Luckily, her manager, Chris Jansen, has a plan: set Everly up on a dating spree similar to The Bachelorette, giving her a chance at finding happiness, and using the publicity to boost ratings and save the station, even as something more grows between the two.
I'm disappointed to say that the romance in this book did not work for me, at all. According to the book, Chris and Everly have known each other for a year, but haven't spoken much, and yet Chris fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her. The romance, in general, felt very insta-lovey at times, and there didn't seem to be any real chemistry between the two. Everly is in love with Chris because he sees her despite her social anxiety, and Chris loves Everly because she's... brave?
The characters, also, were quite lukewarm for me. Chris is constantly going on inner monologues about how amazing and brilliant and incredible Everly is, but to me, it seemed more like the author was trying to hype her up. Most of the side-characters, apart from Everly's best friend Stacy, have no real personality and are only really there to help move the story forward. And rather than seeming like they were in their thirties, the characters could have just as easily been teenagers or a bit older.
Not to mention, the last 10% of the book was filled with cheesy declarations of love, most consisting of the phrase "I choose you" over and over again. Like, um, hello? I thought I was reading a romance novel. Not Pokemon fanfiction.Please don't ask how I know that exists. It'll only disappoint both of us.
All of that being said, one of the greatest parts of this book was how Everly's social anxiety was portrayed. Everything about it was very real, and this book didn't try to sugarcoat very much what Everly felt. Additionally, it didn't try to make Everly's anxiety vanish into thin air the moment she realized that she was in love, and amidst many of the books that do that, I really liked this.
Overall, this was a pretty fluffy read, and somewhat enjoyable. I would recommend it to others who just want to read something nice and light, or something with good social anxiety rep.
Although there were certain parts of this book that I did like, I didn't really feel all too invested in it, or the romance (which is really a shame, because the romance basically makes up the entire book).
Everly Dean is a radio producer who loves her job and hates her birthday. On the morning of her thirtieth birthday, she walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her, and accidentally blurts it out to the whole world. Luckily, her manager, Chris Jansen, has a plan: set Everly up on a dating spree similar to The Bachelorette, giving her a chance at finding happiness, and using the publicity to boost ratings and save the station, even as something more grows between the two.
I'm disappointed to say that the romance in this book did not work for me, at all. According to the book, Chris and Everly have known each other for a year, but haven't spoken much, and yet Chris fell in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her. The romance, in general, felt very insta-lovey at times, and there didn't seem to be any real chemistry between the two. Everly is in love with Chris because he sees her despite her social anxiety, and Chris loves Everly because she's... brave?
The characters, also, were quite lukewarm for me. Chris is constantly going on inner monologues about how amazing and brilliant and incredible Everly is, but to me, it seemed more like the author was trying to hype her up. Most of the side-characters, apart from Everly's best friend Stacy, have no real personality and are only really there to help move the story forward. And rather than seeming like they were in their thirties, the characters could have just as easily been teenagers or a bit older.
Not to mention, the last 10% of the book was filled with cheesy declarations of love, most consisting of the phrase "I choose you" over and over again. Like, um, hello? I thought I was reading a romance novel. Not Pokemon fanfiction.
All of that being said, one of the greatest parts of this book was how Everly's social anxiety was portrayed. Everything about it was very real, and this book didn't try to sugarcoat very much what Everly felt. Additionally, it didn't try to make Everly's anxiety vanish into thin air the moment she realized that she was in love, and amidst many of the books that do that, I really liked this.
Overall, this was a pretty fluffy read, and somewhat enjoyable. I would recommend it to others who just want to read something nice and light, or something with good social anxiety rep.
November 4, 2022
4 Stars
A lovely contemporary romance read, featuring Everly, a shy, anxiety riddled heroine and, Chris, the boss who secretly adores her.
I immediately related to Everly. Everything about her personality and her anxieties resonated with the deepest parts of myself. I understood her, I sympathised with her, and I wanted nothing but good things for her.
Chris was all the good things, wrapped in a charming sweetheart of a man, who had pined from an appropriate distance since he started working as manager of the radio station where Everly is a producer.
When one well-meaning on-air mishap results in unwanted attention for Everly (but positive buzz for the station), Everly finds herself the centre of a new publicly broadcast dating segment, in which the goal—besides bringing in new listeners and sponsors—is to find Everly the man of her dreams.
Going on blind dates and letting listeners know how they went, is so far out of Everly’s comfort zone she may as well be floating off into deep space, but she’s determined to try new things and to step outside her norm, with the hopes of working through some of her anxiety issues and hopefully having some unexpected but worthwhile new experiences along the way.
Ultimately, though, when it comes to dating new men, Everly finds herself increasingly draw to boss Chris, who, because of this new dating segment, is much more present in Everly’s life, crossing colleague borders into friends and confidantes' territory, with the definite potential for more, as each new interaction stokes the already indelible spark that sizzles between them.
For the most part, I enjoyed how this one played out. Besides some slight mishaps in the last leg of the story—which resulted in a couple of moments where I was annoyed and/or frustrated with Everly’s reactions and attitudes over certain revelations—I generally had a nice time reading this.
Chris, in particular, was a dream hero in my eyes. He was just the sweetest man imaginable, and that’s not a negative. I adored the way he adored Everly, showing great consideration to her needs and wants, in all things, making her feel seen and understood in a way she seldom hadn’t throughout her life (because of how pertinent her anxiety was in every aspect of her life). I couldn’t help but root for him to get the girl, and get the girl he did.
Notably, the support cast of characters were a treat. I loved Everly’s bestie and the rest of the radio station colleagues. I also liked Chris’s buddy, Rob, and all the moments Chris shared with his brothers (the other MCs of the series), Noah and Wes. The parents on both sides shit me up the wall, but having already read the sequel, How to Love Your Neighbour (which I accidentally read out of order because it wasn’t yet marked as a series), I can now assume toxic parents are just par of the course for in this series. But if horrible parents are the worst of it, then I don't have much to complain about, indeed.
A lovely contemporary romance read, featuring Everly, a shy, anxiety riddled heroine and, Chris, the boss who secretly adores her.
I immediately related to Everly. Everything about her personality and her anxieties resonated with the deepest parts of myself. I understood her, I sympathised with her, and I wanted nothing but good things for her.
Chris was all the good things, wrapped in a charming sweetheart of a man, who had pined from an appropriate distance since he started working as manager of the radio station where Everly is a producer.
When one well-meaning on-air mishap results in unwanted attention for Everly (but positive buzz for the station), Everly finds herself the centre of a new publicly broadcast dating segment, in which the goal—besides bringing in new listeners and sponsors—is to find Everly the man of her dreams.
Going on blind dates and letting listeners know how they went, is so far out of Everly’s comfort zone she may as well be floating off into deep space, but she’s determined to try new things and to step outside her norm, with the hopes of working through some of her anxiety issues and hopefully having some unexpected but worthwhile new experiences along the way.
Ultimately, though, when it comes to dating new men, Everly finds herself increasingly draw to boss Chris, who, because of this new dating segment, is much more present in Everly’s life, crossing colleague borders into friends and confidantes' territory, with the definite potential for more, as each new interaction stokes the already indelible spark that sizzles between them.
For the most part, I enjoyed how this one played out. Besides some slight mishaps in the last leg of the story—which resulted in a couple of moments where I was annoyed and/or frustrated with Everly’s reactions and attitudes over certain revelations—I generally had a nice time reading this.
Chris, in particular, was a dream hero in my eyes. He was just the sweetest man imaginable, and that’s not a negative. I adored the way he adored Everly, showing great consideration to her needs and wants, in all things, making her feel seen and understood in a way she seldom hadn’t throughout her life (because of how pertinent her anxiety was in every aspect of her life). I couldn’t help but root for him to get the girl, and get the girl he did.
Notably, the support cast of characters were a treat. I loved Everly’s bestie and the rest of the radio station colleagues. I also liked Chris’s buddy, Rob, and all the moments Chris shared with his brothers (the other MCs of the series), Noah and Wes. The parents on both sides shit me up the wall, but having already read the sequel, How to Love Your Neighbour (which I accidentally read out of order because it wasn’t yet marked as a series), I can now assume toxic parents are just par of the course for in this series. But if horrible parents are the worst of it, then I don't have much to complain about, indeed.
December 24, 2023
Had promise but there was language throughout I didn’t like. So slow and I found myself skimming.
December 19, 2023
This was a very meh book…meh characters and mediocre plot.
January 9, 2021
TITLE: TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT
AUTHOR: Sophie Sullivan
SERIES: Standalone
RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2020
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Mental Health, Anxiety, Bachelorette on Radio
RATING: 3 Stars
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
ARGH! TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT could have easily been a 5-star read. I loved that the author talked about something we all can relate to in some way because I'm sure most of us have been afraid to make the first move, to stand up for ourselves out of fear of rejection. For Everly this turned into a pattern and anxiety. The author addressed this exceptionally well - I really understood why Everly felt the way she did. I could feel her fear, her shyness, the way she hesitated and second-guessed every single decision in her life.
Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.
Both main characters were extremely likable and Everly's best friend, Stacey, was the ultimate sidekick who got her but didn't hold back with her honesty. Chris was truly wonderful, he had this intuition and understanding for what Everly needed and how she felt. But, and here is where my issues start, we have these endless, repetitive inner monologues that just slow the reading down and make the storyline drag. At a time where I find it hard to focus it's a little annoying since it takes me much longer to get through a book then usual. The thing that made the story fall apart a little was Everly's archaic take on marriage and divorce and the way she kept throwing stuff in Chris's face that had happened before they even met. She denied him a decade of growth which felt a little immature and the whole conflict came out of nowhere. Drama for drama's sake. But what I loved was her gradual growth, how she grew braver and more empowered.
All at once, sitting next to him, she’d realized she did like him. That she wished he were one of her dates. All her dates.
Sophie Sullivan is an author to watch. I think she has immense talent if she can condense her word count a little and mind the flow of the story a little more. I was still sufficiently entertained and loved parts of the story that were funny and cute. Those make me want to try her future books again!
January 8, 2021
Title: Ten Rules for Faking It
Series: standalone
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Release date: December 29, 2020
Cliffhanger: no
Genre: rom-com, contemporary romance
“I’ll choose you again and again and again,” she whispered. His heart tumbled. Right into her hands. “I’ll choose you back.”
This book was such a breath of fresh air! My favorite thing about the whole package was the heroine Everly in all of her neurotic imperfections. I can fully understand that not everyone will "get" her, and she may push some people's buttons with her anxieties and constant need to break through her own boundaries. Many readers will connect with her being an introvert, but she has a lot of emotional challenges connected to social anxiety that go beyond that. She suffers from full blown panic attacks and fear of unfamiliar situations. There was something about her vulnerability that spoke to me from page one-despite her emotional baggage she never surrenders to it. She's a fighter; it just takes her a little while to acknowledge that in herself. Haven't we all been there?
The author did a phenomenal job explaining what shapes Everly to the reader, piece by piece. I think that's another reason that she worked so well for me; I understood where she came from and how it molded her into who she was today. Her parents' volatile and rocky relationship left her feeling unstable growing up. She was like a spectator at a tennis match watching their passionate love and fury volley continuously on loop. Now as an adult, she wants a clean, tidy life where there are no surprises.
She didn’t have either of her parents’ tempers or flair for the dramatic. In her opinion, the less conflict the better.
Predictability is her safe haven and this is something she feels that she can control. When she feels out of control, that's when panic sets in. She's happy to blend in the background and observe rather than experience. So she picks extroverted men who are all wrong for her because they fill in the gaps that she leaves in conversations. The problem is that they have nothing in common, so she's doomed to fail every time.
Her latest failure in love leads to a moment that rates a ten on the cringeworthy scale. After busting her man in bed with another woman, she rushes to the radio station where she works to vent to her best friend. Little does she know that the whole sorry tale is broadcast on air, live in all of its humiliating glory. Anyone would want to crawl into a hole and hide after that, but after licking her wounds for a bit she puts on a brave face. Inside, she was a churning ball of emotion and her brain was running a marathon on steroids. Not only did all of the listeners hear, but all of her coworkers, and possibly worst of all, her boss Chris.
Chris' impersonal attitude towards her has led her to believe that he doesn't like her. He isn't a nasty or unfair boss, but their interactions have become uncomfortably stilted. Chris puts on a quiet, stoic front with her, but there's so much hidden under the surface that he doesn't allow to show.
It took a tangible amount of energy to not clue her into how he felt. Usually, he walked away from an interaction with her feeling like he’d run a race in jeans.
Chris' father owns the station, and he recently began working there to prove that he could turn the station's profits around all on his own. The job is a temporary stepping stone to bigger and better things so he vows to not get attached-despite his growing attraction for Everly. When his father threatens to sell off the station, he has to kick a plan into high gear to protect the jobs of the people he's grown to care about. Everly will participate in a Bachelorette type reality segment where she dates a series of guys and ultimately chooses Mr. Right at the end. The plan is to boost ratings and gain advertising funds and help Sophie to bravely test the waters outside of her comfort zone.
You have to give Everly the credit and respect that she deserves for having the courage to put herself out there in such a drastic way. Not only do her dates provide a little comic relief, but they help her evolve emotionally as a character. She gives herself ten rules for "faking it" until she sees the change manifest naturally in her life. She challenges herself to try new things, be bold at work, figure out what makes her happy and hold onto it, and basically learn to value herself and her impact on others. She recognizes her faults and makes a plan to overcome them in order to turn her life in a positive direction. Yes, she has insecurities, fear, and anxiety, but she's willing to proactively do something about it. Chris is quietly supportive through everything, and she begins to see that she had completely misunderstood him. They grow a friendship with an unspoken attraction on both sides that both stubbornly try to ignore.
These two were the absolute sweetest together. I adored his ability to see her social anxieties like no other, and accept her exactly as she was. In the beginning of relationships people put on a show and only let people see the best side of themselves. The crash and burn comes later when you realize they aren't the perfect package they sold themselves to be. He recognizes her issues and stands solidly beside her. Unfortunately, he's hiding a secret from her that feels like a ticking time bomb the longer he conceals it. The deeper he gets with Everly, the harder it is to tell her the truth. You just can't be mad at the guy though, he wears his heart on his sleeve for her, and his intentions are always in the right place.
His home? It was wherever he could see her face. Touch her. Breathe her in. In that moment, Chris would have turned himself inside out and upside down if it meant having even the smallest chance at being in Everly’s heart. Of finding a way inside of it.
This could have easily been a five star read. It was for most of the book, but I had one little niggle towards the end that I found a little frustrating. If it weren't for that, I would have easily given this story 5++ stars.
Sophie Sullivan is a new to me author that I can't wait to read more of. Her brand of humor, her skill in character development, and the romantic thrills are top notch. She writes under the name Jody Holford, so I'll be browsing her backlist for more of her work to sample. I really appreciated her sensitivity with Everly’s anxieties, and how she brought a little more understanding to this common social challenge. Not only did Ten Rules for Faking It address the characters' emotional aspect, but it was also entertaining, sweet, and just what I look for in a rom-com. I can't recommend this one enough-it has a little something for everyone.
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December 5, 2020
Ten Rules for Faking It was a sweet, slow-burn romance that focuses heavily upon the protagonist, Everly, and her struggle with anxiety. Although it was slow at times, this book gave me a lot of the warm, fuzzy feelings I wanted.
Everly's birthdays are always horrible, but this one takes the cake. She walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her, and now her friend has managed to broadcast that news at the radio station she works at. Suddenly people are lining up to date her. She gets involved in a Bachelorette-style game which is way out of her comfort zone. On top of all this, she can't stop thinking about Chris, her distant but extremely cute boss.
If you love slow burns filled with quiet, sweet moments between characters who don't want to be honest with each other, this is a great book for you. Fresh out of a bad relationship Everly isn't sure what she wants, but she knows she needs to feel safe and comfortable around them. The passion she has for Chris is way too much for her to handle. Meanwhile, Chris is the son of a billionaire businessman who owns the radio company; he was only supposed to be managing it for a short while to prove himself to his father. He can't fall for Everly if he's going to be leaving. This isn't a steamy book. If you're a fan of romance but could do without all the sex, here you go! The anxiety representation was excellent. Ten Rules for Faking It goes into depth surrounding Everly's mental health. She's trying to push herself, to become more confident, but recovery is never a linear progression. I especially the character development here. Everly still has anxiety at the end of the book, but she's learnt so much about setting boundaries and questioning her invasive thoughts. I wish Everly going to therapy was included or at least looking into it as an option. I think books that handle mental health issues need to start accepting that people can't fix everything themselves, that therapy isn't a bad thing. Everly is definitely the star of the book, and sometimes the character depth of the rest of the cast suffered because of the tight focus on her. I wish Chris especially had a bit more depth to him outside of family conflict and loveliness. Regardless of my small criticisms, this was a lovely book to read, it was a heartwarming romance, but where it really shone was Everly's fight with mental health.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
You should check out my Blog! You can also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
Everly's birthdays are always horrible, but this one takes the cake. She walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her, and now her friend has managed to broadcast that news at the radio station she works at. Suddenly people are lining up to date her. She gets involved in a Bachelorette-style game which is way out of her comfort zone. On top of all this, she can't stop thinking about Chris, her distant but extremely cute boss.
If you love slow burns filled with quiet, sweet moments between characters who don't want to be honest with each other, this is a great book for you. Fresh out of a bad relationship Everly isn't sure what she wants, but she knows she needs to feel safe and comfortable around them. The passion she has for Chris is way too much for her to handle. Meanwhile, Chris is the son of a billionaire businessman who owns the radio company; he was only supposed to be managing it for a short while to prove himself to his father. He can't fall for Everly if he's going to be leaving. This isn't a steamy book. If you're a fan of romance but could do without all the sex, here you go! The anxiety representation was excellent. Ten Rules for Faking It goes into depth surrounding Everly's mental health. She's trying to push herself, to become more confident, but recovery is never a linear progression. I especially the character development here. Everly still has anxiety at the end of the book, but she's learnt so much about setting boundaries and questioning her invasive thoughts. I wish Everly going to therapy was included or at least looking into it as an option. I think books that handle mental health issues need to start accepting that people can't fix everything themselves, that therapy isn't a bad thing. Everly is definitely the star of the book, and sometimes the character depth of the rest of the cast suffered because of the tight focus on her. I wish Chris especially had a bit more depth to him outside of family conflict and loveliness. Regardless of my small criticisms, this was a lovely book to read, it was a heartwarming romance, but where it really shone was Everly's fight with mental health.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
You should check out my Blog! You can also follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
December 31, 2020
3.5/ 5 stars
Ten Rules For Faking It is the author's romantic comedy debut. She has written books in other genres under the name Jody Holford.
The main narrator in this book is 30 year old Everly Dean (3rd person POV). The story takes place in a small town in California called San Verde.
It is interesting that this is the second book that I have read recently where the heroine is a radio producer. And it's also the second book that I've read recently where the heroine has bad luck on her birthdays.
Everly is a radio producer. Her best friend Stacey is the on air personality who she works with. I really enjoyed this friendship.
There is also some of the male pov (3rd person). I thought that this added a lot to the story. I really liked the main male character in this book. And I am glad that we got to see some of the story from his perspective. As the things happening to him were very different from what was happening to Everly.
Part of the story has a bit of a Bachelorette theme to it. And I liked that idea. But it wasn't really the focus of the story. I do see why the author chose to not focus too much on this aspect. But I was sort of expecting to see a lot more of the dates and such.
Social anxiety was a key part of the book. And to me this is what made this book special. One of the characters suffers from anxiety. And I really enjoyed how this was presented in the book.
The story was cute. And I did like it the more that I read. However, it didn't completely grab my attention right from the beginning. And I sort of had to push myself to read it. Also I wish that there had been a few more things that were less predictable.
It was an enjoyable story. It was funny. The last half was stronger IMO. And I breezed through that part of it. And the romance was really good. Overall, I did like it. And I ended up feeling good about the story.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
Ten Rules For Faking It is the author's romantic comedy debut. She has written books in other genres under the name Jody Holford.
The main narrator in this book is 30 year old Everly Dean (3rd person POV). The story takes place in a small town in California called San Verde.
It is interesting that this is the second book that I have read recently where the heroine is a radio producer. And it's also the second book that I've read recently where the heroine has bad luck on her birthdays.
Everly is a radio producer. Her best friend Stacey is the on air personality who she works with. I really enjoyed this friendship.
There is also some of the male pov (3rd person). I thought that this added a lot to the story. I really liked the main male character in this book. And I am glad that we got to see some of the story from his perspective. As the things happening to him were very different from what was happening to Everly.
Part of the story has a bit of a Bachelorette theme to it. And I liked that idea. But it wasn't really the focus of the story. I do see why the author chose to not focus too much on this aspect. But I was sort of expecting to see a lot more of the dates and such.
Social anxiety was a key part of the book. And to me this is what made this book special. One of the characters suffers from anxiety. And I really enjoyed how this was presented in the book.
The story was cute. And I did like it the more that I read. However, it didn't completely grab my attention right from the beginning. And I sort of had to push myself to read it. Also I wish that there had been a few more things that were less predictable.
It was an enjoyable story. It was funny. The last half was stronger IMO. And I breezed through that part of it. And the romance was really good. Overall, I did like it. And I ended up feeling good about the story.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
December 10, 2020
Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan is such a refreshing novel in the sense that it represented what I believe is sometimes an underrepresented subject; mental health. Specifically, generalized anxiety, panic attack disorder and social anxiety. The protagonist, Everly, suffers from it all. Sullivan does a phenomenal job accurately portraying the reality of these anxiety disorders!
I adored this story; it quickly became very special and very personal to me. I, too, suffer from anxiety disorders, but especially social anxiety. I’m certain this is why I immediately cared so much about Everly and her story. I could genuinely relate to most of her feelings.
The main three characters are well developed and multiple plot lines all come together in the end. The writing is succinct and the dialogue quick and realistic. Even the characters’ internal dialogues are well done.
This is not just a chicklit romance novel but includes elements of a family drama. Sullivan loops in several complex familial and marital relationship, again making this story relatable to most. Also carefully crafted is the delicate relationship between two women who are best friends — which is never a simple relationship!
Mental health and anxiety, family issues, realistic female friendships, some humor... and of course, romance! This story touches on a lot of relatable issues which I really appreciated.
The romance is believable with good chemistry and solid tension that builds. While this is a romance novel, that’s not the only story. Everly’s journey of accepting her own identity as a woman living with social anxiety is also a main plot line. And it’s a wonderful thing to see unfold.
I was cheering for and crying with Everly the whole book! I highly recommend this read.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sophie Sullivan for a copy of this book for review.
Thank you for reading my review on Goodreads! Follow me on Instagram (@journeyofthepages) for further bookish engagement! www.instragram.com/journeyofthepages I hope to meet you there!
I adored this story; it quickly became very special and very personal to me. I, too, suffer from anxiety disorders, but especially social anxiety. I’m certain this is why I immediately cared so much about Everly and her story. I could genuinely relate to most of her feelings.
The main three characters are well developed and multiple plot lines all come together in the end. The writing is succinct and the dialogue quick and realistic. Even the characters’ internal dialogues are well done.
This is not just a chicklit romance novel but includes elements of a family drama. Sullivan loops in several complex familial and marital relationship, again making this story relatable to most. Also carefully crafted is the delicate relationship between two women who are best friends — which is never a simple relationship!
Mental health and anxiety, family issues, realistic female friendships, some humor... and of course, romance! This story touches on a lot of relatable issues which I really appreciated.
The romance is believable with good chemistry and solid tension that builds. While this is a romance novel, that’s not the only story. Everly’s journey of accepting her own identity as a woman living with social anxiety is also a main plot line. And it’s a wonderful thing to see unfold.
I was cheering for and crying with Everly the whole book! I highly recommend this read.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sophie Sullivan for a copy of this book for review.
Thank you for reading my review on Goodreads! Follow me on Instagram (@journeyofthepages) for further bookish engagement! www.instragram.com/journeyofthepages I hope to meet you there!
January 29, 2022
More like 2.5 stars, but I was close to DNF-ing it at 80% and had to listen to the audiobook on 1.75 speed just to manage to finish the story, so I'm rounding it down to 2 stars.
There was one aspect of this book I wholeheartedly appreciated: accurate representation of (social) anxiety.
Unfortunately, it's where the positives end for me.
Expectations I started this book with were wrong. For some reason, I thought it would focus on MC's Bachelorette-like show where she tries to find a true love, which turend out to be a side plot (I believe we only got to see her out on a date with two guys?). And I know, I know, it's not author's fault she didn’t give me what I picked up her book for, but it was nonetheless disappointing.
Now, what author is to blame for is creating (IMO) an unbelievable love story.
Everly's boss had a crush on her for a year or so and decided to deal with it by being off-putting and never talking to her. Fine. A bit unrealistic for a 30-something-year-old man to be platonically in love with a woman he doesn't really know for such a long time, but ok. Then, overnight, he changed his complete behavior and started showing he had feelings for her. Quite out of character, but I could also deal with that. What bothered me was that we never got to see him falling in love with her. It felt like I started reading book from the middle and couldn't connect with their "love".
And without "all the feels", what's the point of reading a romance book?
There was one aspect of this book I wholeheartedly appreciated: accurate representation of (social) anxiety.
Unfortunately, it's where the positives end for me.
Expectations I started this book with were wrong. For some reason, I thought it would focus on MC's Bachelorette-like show where she tries to find a true love, which turend out to be a side plot (I believe we only got to see her out on a date with two guys?). And I know, I know, it's not author's fault she didn’t give me what I picked up her book for, but it was nonetheless disappointing.
Now, what author is to blame for is creating (IMO) an unbelievable love story.
Everly's boss had a crush on her for a year or so and decided to deal with it by being off-putting and never talking to her. Fine. A bit unrealistic for a 30-something-year-old man to be platonically in love with a woman he doesn't really know for such a long time, but ok. Then, overnight, he changed his complete behavior and started showing he had feelings for her. Quite out of character, but I could also deal with that. What bothered me was that we never got to see him falling in love with her. It felt like I started reading book from the middle and couldn't connect with their "love".
And without "all the feels", what's the point of reading a romance book?
November 9, 2020
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Not much to say here. I liked the premise of the book, but think that things got fouled up when Sullivan switched from Everly's point of view, to Chris's. I just didn't care what he had to say or think throughout the book. And honestly there is a lot that was dismissed concerned Everly's social anxiety that I think should have been delved into much better than this book allowed. This is honestly reminding me of a book I read last year (blanking on the name) where the heroine had severe anxiety problems but it's glossed over when she falls in love. Never mind that her first marriage ended over the same issue.
"Ten Rules for Faking It" follows Everly a producer of a radio morning show. Everly never has the best birthdays, and this year is among the worst when she walks in on her boyfriend with someone else. And the icing on the cake is when she reveals on air to her best friend, and the show's DJ, Stacey, that she caught her boyfriend with someone else. Everly gets sent home, but the station's owner's son Chris, thinks he may have a way to save Everly's show if she agrees to go on some dates and talks about it on the air. Everly agrees since she doesn't see a way out of the show getting cancelled.
The book could have been cute, but I think that Sullivan just glossed over things with regards to Everly too much. And it didn't make any sense that Everly seemed to just get a crush on Chris out of nowhere. As I mentioned, we know that Everly has severe social anxiety, so reading about her going on dates that she hates wasn't fun at all. I think if Sullivan wanted this to be a easy breezy chick lit read she could have made the dates more fun and just had readers laughing. Instead I was annoyed with Chris and his deal that got Everly into something she really didn't want to do. Also Everly is extremely judgmental of pretty much everything. I just got tired of reading about her after a while.
And Chris...yikes. He just comes of nowhere and we see how into Everly he is, once again out of nowhere. Also the way he and his brothers' spoke about his sister started to rub me the wrong way. Also, Chris is Everly's boss and the power imbalance in the relationship should not have been glossed over the way it was in this book. I swear, you would think in the aftermath of #metoo more authors would not write relationships with boss/workers and act like it's cool.
The writing was so-so and the flow was just bad since it jumped around between Everly and Chris.
Not much to say here. I liked the premise of the book, but think that things got fouled up when Sullivan switched from Everly's point of view, to Chris's. I just didn't care what he had to say or think throughout the book. And honestly there is a lot that was dismissed concerned Everly's social anxiety that I think should have been delved into much better than this book allowed. This is honestly reminding me of a book I read last year (blanking on the name) where the heroine had severe anxiety problems but it's glossed over when she falls in love. Never mind that her first marriage ended over the same issue.
"Ten Rules for Faking It" follows Everly a producer of a radio morning show. Everly never has the best birthdays, and this year is among the worst when she walks in on her boyfriend with someone else. And the icing on the cake is when she reveals on air to her best friend, and the show's DJ, Stacey, that she caught her boyfriend with someone else. Everly gets sent home, but the station's owner's son Chris, thinks he may have a way to save Everly's show if she agrees to go on some dates and talks about it on the air. Everly agrees since she doesn't see a way out of the show getting cancelled.
The book could have been cute, but I think that Sullivan just glossed over things with regards to Everly too much. And it didn't make any sense that Everly seemed to just get a crush on Chris out of nowhere. As I mentioned, we know that Everly has severe social anxiety, so reading about her going on dates that she hates wasn't fun at all. I think if Sullivan wanted this to be a easy breezy chick lit read she could have made the dates more fun and just had readers laughing. Instead I was annoyed with Chris and his deal that got Everly into something she really didn't want to do. Also Everly is extremely judgmental of pretty much everything. I just got tired of reading about her after a while.
And Chris...yikes. He just comes of nowhere and we see how into Everly he is, once again out of nowhere. Also the way he and his brothers' spoke about his sister started to rub me the wrong way. Also, Chris is Everly's boss and the power imbalance in the relationship should not have been glossed over the way it was in this book. I swear, you would think in the aftermath of #metoo more authors would not write relationships with boss/workers and act like it's cool.
The writing was so-so and the flow was just bad since it jumped around between Everly and Chris.
October 22, 2021
I had a hard time really getting into this one and I’m not totally sure why. I really liked the two main characters and especially loved Everly’s anxiety being so realistically explained. I also loved Stacey. I liked the cute bachelor like radio station games. I loved the sprinkling of Veronica Mars references so much. I didn’t love that Chris especially seemed to have an I loved you before I knew you stance because I think love comes with the getting to know someone. It was very slow burn and lots of the book was about Everly dating other guys. I really didn’t like Everly’s parents and their complete lack of understanding of their daughter. Overall it was a cute book and a decent rom-com, but it wasn’t exciting and didn’t grip me the way I would have liked.
April 1, 2021
Not my vibe. I just hated how OBVIOUS our hero was but so adamant about not wanting to date her and having big daddy issues too as well. And our heroine? Lol why does everyone want to date her I don't get it.
November 2, 2020
Ohmygosh. This book was the sweetest!
My heart is filled to bursting with the most delicious sweetness of it all. I adored Chris and Everly’s story so much!
Perhaps best of all? I don’t remember the last time I read a heroine who was so perfectly relatable. I mean, your mileage may vary. But if anxiety is your jam the way that anxiety is my jam? You’re gonna get her. That doesn’t mean she didn’t occasionally drive me crazy (I mean, let’s be real – I occasionally drive myself crazy), but I got her. I related and I empathized and I genuinely liked her.
That being the case, it wasn’t exactly difficult to root for her! And it definitely wasn’t hard to root for Chris as the hero. I loved how delicately their relationship was written. It was filled with these small, achingly tender moments that felt so enormous in my heart. Sometimes my skin felt buzzy from their chemistry which simmered at a slow burn for most of the story. They made me smile so big – and so often – I was just completely charmed, and totally smitten with them!
I will admit that there were moments where I found myself skimming a bit. I’m not certain whether the pacing slowed for me, or if there was maybe too much detail about things that I didn’t feel moved the story (or, specifically, the romance) forward? Perhaps it was just my greedy heart wanting more of the “good stuff”, faster? In any case, it didn’t deter my love for Chris and Everly, or take away from all the good that I found here.
And there was so much good! There’s a richness to the story – the romance bolstered by a rewarding character arc, a heartwarming and genuine best-friendship, and some complicated family dynamics. Ultimately, Ten Rules for Faking It was the whole package. I laughed out loud, my heart fluttered like crazy, and I absolutely reveled in the adorableness of it all. Chris and Everly’s happily ever after was an absolute delight, 100% worth the journey ! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
My heart is filled to bursting with the most delicious sweetness of it all. I adored Chris and Everly’s story so much!
Perhaps best of all? I don’t remember the last time I read a heroine who was so perfectly relatable. I mean, your mileage may vary. But if anxiety is your jam the way that anxiety is my jam? You’re gonna get her. That doesn’t mean she didn’t occasionally drive me crazy (I mean, let’s be real – I occasionally drive myself crazy), but I got her. I related and I empathized and I genuinely liked her.
That being the case, it wasn’t exactly difficult to root for her! And it definitely wasn’t hard to root for Chris as the hero. I loved how delicately their relationship was written. It was filled with these small, achingly tender moments that felt so enormous in my heart. Sometimes my skin felt buzzy from their chemistry which simmered at a slow burn for most of the story. They made me smile so big – and so often – I was just completely charmed, and totally smitten with them!
I will admit that there were moments where I found myself skimming a bit. I’m not certain whether the pacing slowed for me, or if there was maybe too much detail about things that I didn’t feel moved the story (or, specifically, the romance) forward? Perhaps it was just my greedy heart wanting more of the “good stuff”, faster? In any case, it didn’t deter my love for Chris and Everly, or take away from all the good that I found here.
And there was so much good! There’s a richness to the story – the romance bolstered by a rewarding character arc, a heartwarming and genuine best-friendship, and some complicated family dynamics. Ultimately, Ten Rules for Faking It was the whole package. I laughed out loud, my heart fluttered like crazy, and I absolutely reveled in the adorableness of it all. Chris and Everly’s happily ever after was an absolute delight, 100% worth the journey ! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
December 7, 2020
Read to 50% and then started skipping around.
I liked Everly and Chris well enough. They’re both good people looking for something. Stacey is a good friend who knows when to push and when to relax. I loved her constant acceptance and reliability that she provided. Chris’s brothers were also great.
Plot wise, it was so very slow. There’s loads of inner monologue and my main complaint is that I didn’t see the chemistry between Everly and Chris. I’m usually 1000% on board with longing filled glances and pining away, it didn’t work for me here. However, I really liked the anxiety rep and thought it felt authentic.
Overall, it was an interesting idea, but the execution didn’t work for me. I may be interested in a companion book of Stacey is the MC.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the arc free of charge**
I liked Everly and Chris well enough. They’re both good people looking for something. Stacey is a good friend who knows when to push and when to relax. I loved her constant acceptance and reliability that she provided. Chris’s brothers were also great.
Plot wise, it was so very slow. There’s loads of inner monologue and my main complaint is that I didn’t see the chemistry between Everly and Chris. I’m usually 1000% on board with longing filled glances and pining away, it didn’t work for me here. However, I really liked the anxiety rep and thought it felt authentic.
Overall, it was an interesting idea, but the execution didn’t work for me. I may be interested in a companion book of Stacey is the MC.
**Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the arc free of charge**
February 12, 2023
Super cute!
Wow, I was a really great reviewer back in 2021 🤣
Wow, I was a really great reviewer back in 2021 🤣
November 13, 2021
This was cute, but the more I read it, the more I realize slow burn, especially fade to black, is just not my favourite 😂
December 29, 2020
The book is written with a sardonic tone that had me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Everly is extremely unlucky when it comes to birthdays, and right off the bat we’re introduced to that bad luck when she walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her.
Everly is a unique protagonist in that she suffers from extreme anxiety. She seems to think that she needs a partner who is her polar opposite–an extreme extrovert–since he’ll force her to do things that she’s uncomfortable with. She’s also aware that she has the problem of coupling up with guys that she doesn’t feel strongly for. It’s harder for her to get hurt if she’s not that invested. So, in the beginning of the novel, when her boyfriend cheats on her on her birthday, she’s angry and upset, but not devastated.
One of the (many) things that makes Chris perfect for Everly is that he understands her anxiety and how it influences every aspect of her life in a way that not even her parents or best friend understands. He doesn’t try to push her, and even his presents for her are thoughtful on such an adorably sweet level. Even though he’s the one that suggests the dating show, he never actually forces her into it, and he constantly gives her the option of getting out of it.
I’ve noticed a lot of books will have a heroine who’s “socially awkward” in the sense that the author keeps telling us that. But in this case, it’s shown to us on so many occasions and in different ways–from the way that Everly speaks when she’s uncomfortable, to the way that she handles things. The author does even more than show us these personality traits, but I honestly felt them in almost every one of Everly’s interactions. This is a sign of a fabulous writer in my book!
Just like a true romantic comedy, there are a lot of laughs in this book, but there are parts that are heartfelt and sweet. Everly learns a lot about herself and her relationships, not only with past boyfriends, but with her parents and her best friend. I’ve talked a lot about Everly (because I love her so much!), but Chris has a beautiful, if more subtle, character development in this novel as well.
I definitely recommend this romance book to those who suffer from varying degrees of social anxiety, and anyone who wants to read a sweet, clean, and at times hilarious feel-good novel.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook to review*
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
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My 2020 Reading Challenge
Everly is a unique protagonist in that she suffers from extreme anxiety. She seems to think that she needs a partner who is her polar opposite–an extreme extrovert–since he’ll force her to do things that she’s uncomfortable with. She’s also aware that she has the problem of coupling up with guys that she doesn’t feel strongly for. It’s harder for her to get hurt if she’s not that invested. So, in the beginning of the novel, when her boyfriend cheats on her on her birthday, she’s angry and upset, but not devastated.
One of the (many) things that makes Chris perfect for Everly is that he understands her anxiety and how it influences every aspect of her life in a way that not even her parents or best friend understands. He doesn’t try to push her, and even his presents for her are thoughtful on such an adorably sweet level. Even though he’s the one that suggests the dating show, he never actually forces her into it, and he constantly gives her the option of getting out of it.
I’ve noticed a lot of books will have a heroine who’s “socially awkward” in the sense that the author keeps telling us that. But in this case, it’s shown to us on so many occasions and in different ways–from the way that Everly speaks when she’s uncomfortable, to the way that she handles things. The author does even more than show us these personality traits, but I honestly felt them in almost every one of Everly’s interactions. This is a sign of a fabulous writer in my book!
Just like a true romantic comedy, there are a lot of laughs in this book, but there are parts that are heartfelt and sweet. Everly learns a lot about herself and her relationships, not only with past boyfriends, but with her parents and her best friend. I’ve talked a lot about Everly (because I love her so much!), but Chris has a beautiful, if more subtle, character development in this novel as well.
I definitely recommend this romance book to those who suffer from varying degrees of social anxiety, and anyone who wants to read a sweet, clean, and at times hilarious feel-good novel.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ebook to review*
This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Instagram | Blog | Website | Twitter
My 2020 Reading Challenge
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