My Review

This book was a bit confusing because it felt like a sequel based on the exposition that referred to events that happened before this book started. It was the sort of light exposition that usually catches readers up to events in an earlier book rather than the “this is what you need to know about me” exposition with a standalone book.

As the blurb mentions, Nolan is adopted, and it’s a fairly recent adoption. He doesn’t really talk about his life before being adopted, but the way in which the situation presents itself makes it seem like there’s a backstory out there.

In any event, Nolan wants nothing more than to go to prom with the school’s golden boy. In order to attract the object of his affection, he enters into a fake dating scenario with a grumpy brooding boy who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. Cue the misunderstandings and Big Feelings. It’s like Shakespeare or a teen drama. Or why not both?

I would recommend How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom. This is a delightful queer YA story about a boy with a big heart.



I received a digital ARC of this book from MacMillan/NetGalley

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

This felt like a very middle-of-the-road YA m/m romance to me. I wanted more out of it, but unfortunately, I got what I got.

I received a copy of this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. Cute new teen novel though it wasn't really for me.

This is a super soft/sweet/quick read, and while I definitely have some qualms and questions, I totally enjoyed it. It's as if Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and Openly Straight had a baby.

What a great novel. This is my first same sex romance to read - and it won’t be my last. I will be adding this to my middle school class library for my students to enjoy

Here’s a cute YA rom-com with a fresh take on the fake-dating trope. Nolan Grant, 16 and openly gay, just wants to fly under the radar, devoting his time to his art, his plants and his quirky adoptive family. However, after she’s dumped, his older sister Daphne makes it her mission to find him a date for prom and experience his first kiss. When his promposal to his secret crush Si O’Mara, a sweet, popular, gay jock, goes awry, it’s Ira Bernstein (Bern), a brooding tough kid who bullied him when he came out freshman year, who ends up agreeing to be his date. They both stand to gain something from it: Bern needs to send a clear message to scary ex-girlfriend Gia that he’s moved on and Nolan needs Daphne off his back. All of the elements that make fake-dating a popular theme are present: being convincing enough with awkward displays of affection that friends and family believe it’s real and the hilarious scenarios that arise from misunderstandings. The twist is that, although a true friendship develops between this unlikely pair, Nolan doesn’t know if the growing affection between them is manufactured or if he’s misjudged Bern from the start. If you’re looking for a funny, light-hearted romance that bypasses the typical teenage angst and keeps you guessing until the end, pick this one up.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Roaring Brook Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Fun book. Enjoyable for specific teens looking for a light LGBT book. Some part not very realistic however it was a fun read.

I was hoping that this would be a mixture of "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" and "Red, White, & Royal Blue," both of with I loved. However, I was sadly disappointed. The reason that the previously mentioned books are so great is because they have characters that aren't just interesting, but they're characters that you can relate to and wind up loving deeply. I didn't find this with "How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom." Goslee's novel was a bit more immature than I was expecting, and the characters just didn't grab me. However, this will not stop me from recommending it for teens looking for a LGBTQ romance.

This is a cute book, but I expected more from Goslee. Her debut was so funny and unique and this just reads as a generic "quirky" romance. I appreciate her doing something different and I'm always down for m/m romantic comedies, I just think my expectations were a little high and I perhaps thought this would be a different product then what it was. I still enjoyed myself and would recommend to others, but I personally just found it...okay.

I'm always game to read a YA book with LGBTQ characters! How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom is a very sweet story (pretty much the title!) with some fun tropes, hilarious lines, fake dating, and a lively cast. Recommend!

Based on her two novels, S. J. Goslee writes stories about clueless teenage boys who eventually get their s**t together, but not without some fails along the way. If that’s the sort of thing you like, you should definitely give this book a read.

The hapless hero is Nolan, who just wants to get through the rest of his junior year with the help of his best friend Evie and his adoptive sister Daphne. He’s got them, his job, and his art, and that’s all he needs. What Nolan emphatically doesn’t need is a boyfriend, but when Daphne disagrees, she pushes him into making an awkward promposal to his secret crush. Nolan is saved from dying from embarrassment when another guy, Bern, comes to his rescue by pretending he’s the one that Nolan is asking to prom. Bern’s just been dumped his long-time girlfriend, and he’s looking to make it clear that he’s moved on. So, he and Nolan agree to fake date until after prom. But, you know, it’s sometimes difficult to draw a line between fake relationships and real emotions . . .

As the reader, it’s easy to say that Nolan should realize that he and Bern could have something real, but Nolan’s got his reasons for being wary. The author doesn’t delve too deeply into his background, but Nolan was in the foster system before being adopted by his new family as a teen. While they are wonderful and clearly love him, Nolan’s baggage makes it difficult for him to trust other people. Add to that the fact that he’s been a target for bullying at school, and it’s not surprising that he would be defensive about letting people in, to the point that others think he’s kind of a jerk (not the actual word used in the book). The story is really about Nolan learning to be more open, to share his feelings and to accept that people might like him. Well, that, plus the feels between him and Bern.

So, in addition to Nolan finally getting a clue, what else did I love about this book? Bern seems like he might be a jerk at first but turns out to be an absolute sweetheart. Nolan’s family, their friends, and the other characters are quirky and fun, maybe especially Daphne. And the story is funny! Maybe Goslee and I just have a similar sense of humor, but I’m pretty sure I read the entire thing with a smile on my face.

I think this is a great novel, and I highly recommend it. It’s positively a must-read for Goslee’s fans.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

It took me a bit to really get into the characters in this story, but once I did I loved every moment of it! I LOVE the fake-dating trope (even if it usually follows the same pattern) and I hadn't seen it done with a gay main character so I was very excited to read this when I read the synopsis! I definitely loved the love interest, Bern, and loved so many of the side characters! I have to say that at the beginning I really disliked Daphne and how nosy she was, but as the story progressed she kind of grew on me. I have to say that I definitely had some issues with the main conflict towards the end of the story because it felt kind of poorly done and unreasonable, but when it was resolved I really enjoyed the end (even if I wanted more)!

The main character was very clueless at times and I wanted to scream HE LIKES YOU to him but he was still very sweet and it was refreshing to have him and his own struggles as the focus of the story. I really loved their romance and how it built up, it felt pretty believable and sweet. I think that if you want a funny book to breeze through you should definitely pick this up! It was a very enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a cute contemporary!

This book was so freaking cute and charming that I didn't want it to end. I loved pretty much everything about it except how frustrating the characters were when they wouldn't just TELL EACH OTHER WHAT THEY WERE FEELING! (But I suppose that's the authentic thing to expect from teenagers or, well, pretty much anyone...) I hope there's a sequel!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the story of how not to ask a boy to prom. Especially how not to ask a boy you'd never dream of asking to prom to go to prom with you. Especially how not to ask a boy you'd never dream of asking to prom to go to prom with you when you weren't even planning on going to prom in the first place.

Nolan Grant Sheffield (Two last names, no hyphen) is a pretty laid back, chill guy. Loves art, narwhals, plants, his cat, his adopted family, his best friend Evie. He's still dealing a bit with having been in foster care as well as being openly gay, but he's got everyone he needs and he likes to take life easy.

Then his sister, Daphne: 1: is dumped by her boyfriend, 2: decides that if she can't be happy and go to prom with a guy, then her baby bro sure is.

Thus how Nolan gets thrust headfirst into asking out a boy to prom. But when his sister's planned "prom-posal" goes wrong, Nolan is saved from humiliation by the least likely person: bad boy Bern, with his tattoos, his motorcycle, and a chip on his shoulder following his break-up. Now, Nolan and Bern are fake-dating. What could possibly go wrong?

A cute, queer fake-dating novel for those who loved "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "What If It's Us?".

If ever there was a book that the word "cute" could be used to describe it, it's this one. I enjoyed the characters...The main group are really distinctive and fun. The story has all the classic elements of a "fake dating" plot, but what kept me from giving this more stars is that the miscommunication leading up to the "boy loses boy and gets boy back" portion of the story was incredibly weak and forced, and was easily avoidable. The suspension of disbelief the author was asking us to allow was too big a leap. It also didn't help that the potential third party in the main triangle never felt like a potential foil, since nothing major ever happened between our protagonist and Si. I think if the book were a little longer, the author could have set up a bigger, better payoff. But as is, the story is fine.

Man. This book had so much potential. Lets start with the things I liked about How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom.
I love teenage, highschool, lgbt romances. They are usually just so cute and fun, and this was no exception. I liked the two MCs, even though Nolan could be a jerk. He comes to realize this, which makes me like him more.
There’s also the fake dating troupe, which I find fun. You know they’re going to end up liking one another, and I loved hearing the past between Nolan and Bren. SUPER CUTE!
Lastly, I love stories where the siblings are close, and Nolan and Daphne are very close. Nolan was adopted into a loving family, and that’s something I haven’t seen much of. I loved seeing that represented!
Now for what didn’t work so well for me. I felt like the plot kind of drug on at times. Almost like there was no plot? There were just days and days of his life? That’s okay for some people, but I was left thinking ‘where is this going?’
Overall this was a cute story. I loved the ending and the fake dating troupe. I would recommend this book even though the plot kind of drug on. 3.5 stars overall.

The quickest way to get me into a new book is the promise of a sweet romance featuring LGBT characters. Add in some fun tropes, and I'm definitely in. How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom is a solid read, especially for those looking to avoid tragedy or heartbreak in their queer books.

I really enjoyed Goslee's Whatever, and wasn't disappointed in looking forward to her new work! That light humor, a cast of wise-cracking, pop off the page characters, AND fake dating? Sign me up. My only complaint was that it went by too quickly - not just as a cliche, "I want to live in this world forever" type of this, but because I think a bit more material would have smoothed a few rough edges. I enjoyed how the narrative challenged Nolan's view of himself and his relationships, but I think a bit more would have helped make it clear that his attempts to make amends weren't just perfunctory, and to remind the reader why they were rooting for him in the first place. (The conversation with Daphne suffered a bit of the same thing - for something so major, it went by quite fast and I didn't quite feel that they said - or clearly articulated - everything that needed to be said.) Not delving significantly into Nolan's background was also a writing choice that I questioned - when I got to the end of the book without more information, it felt a little bit like I had missed a previous book or at least a major scene. But a very enjoyable YA contemporary overall, funny and with great writing.