She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway was a good read & I enjoyed it! Telling the story of Bree Bozeman, the book opens with the likable & understandable main character who is facing some challenges. I really liked the book because it was fun & relaxing, just what a summer book should be. It’s the perfect antidote for this pandemic stress. The book is focused on Bree’s exploration of who she is & what she wants out of her life. Turning points impact all of us at different times in our life & that’s what drew me into the book. I wanted to see what Bree did next & how she changed. Set in Pacific Beach in San Diego, the book setting was a new one for me. The descriptions of the Pacific Beach area made me feel like I’d taken a little armchair vacation. It was relaxing & fun, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Bree doesn’t know what she wants to do in life. She dropped out of college and works for a food delivery app, but she loses that job when her car breaks down. Then, her sister gives her a book by a lifestyle guru, which will help her achieve her ambitions. The problem is that Bree doesn’t know what her ambitions are. She makes an Instagram account, where she reposts images for her vision board. Things get more complicated when she starts a romance with a pro surfer, who has had his own social media scandal. Bree has to learn that things on social media aren’t always what they seem.

Social media is such an important part of life, yet it can also be fake. Things that are posted have been edited to look perfect, rather than reflect real life. In this story, Bree becomes a minor influencer. She gets offers to promote products, even though she doesn’t know or like the products. It’s so easy to get caught up in getting free products or promotions on social media. It’s important to stay true to yourself and your brand, rather than just gaining followers.

I liked how realistic Bree’s struggles were in this story. Bree was given opportunities in her young life, yet she didn’t know how to use them. She didn’t know what she wanted to study in college, which led to her dropping out. She struggled with debt and unemployment. This wasn’t a Cinderella story where she suddenly reversed her fortune at the end, but I liked how it reflected real life.

I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I initially liked the concept of a wannabe influencer meets surfer pro, but I just couldn’t get into this book. First off I’m a big visual person and I got next to no description of the main characters, and the story was half realistic and half “that would never happen”

Kristin Rockaway explores the perils and triumphs of online celebrity and digital stardom in her smart, sassy and sensational summer romp, She’s Faking It.

Bree Bozeman has spent the last couple of years since she dropped out of college drifting through life. Living among the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego, Bree’s lifestyle is uneventful and stress-free leading her to sometimes wonder just what the future holds for somebody whose main occupation is that of a GrubGetter. Bree, however, needn’t be down in the dumps for long because an opportunity is going to come along that is going to make all of her dreams come true! Will Bree finally be living the life she has always wanted? Or will she end up realizing that sometimes you really need to be extremely careful what you wish for?

When one of her posts on her Instagram account ends up in the orbit of lifestyle guru Demi DiPalma, Bree’s life changes immediately. Plucked from obscurity and propelled onto digital stardom, Bree becomes one of social media’s fast rising stars. Has she finally found her calling? Will Bree at last have a purpose in life and a reason to get out of bed in the morning? For the first time in a very long while, everything seems to be coming up roses for Bree. But is Demi the real deal? Or should Bree start asking questions about her mentor’s motives?

Bree appears to have it all: a great career, an ever-growing number of followers on social media and even a fledgling romance with a gorgeous surfer, but when her perfect life comes crashing down around her ears, she quickly realizes that there aren’t enough filters on social media to fix this mess! All that glitters is certainly not gold, but will Bree find the courage to fight for what she wants on her own terms? Or will she end up giving up on all of her hopes and dreams?

Kristin Rockaway’s She’s Faking It is an enjoyable read packed with humor and sass, but it is not just a captivating page-turner but an eye-opening and topical exploration of the pitfalls of online celebrity and the vast chasm between digital perfection and real life disappointment.

A fun summer read with a fantastic protagonist you cannot help but cheer for, Kristin Rockaway’s She’s Faking It is not to be missed.

I went in to this book a little skeptical about the plot, but was pleasantly surprised with how the story moved along. Bree is down on her luck and trying to find a way to make ends meet when she is given a book by her sister written by a self-help star. After reading it, she decides to take the advice and run with it. Trey Cantu is a surfer with a past that he is hiding from. These two decide to see where their attraction leads, but things get mixed up and there are misunderstandings. The story was definitely out there, but I enjoyed the characters. The story left much too open for my liking. All in all it was enjoyable read.

By now we all should know that what we see on social media is not necessarily true to life. Of course, that doesn't really stop the comparisons and wondering why your life is not like those you see on your feed. In Kristin Rockaway's latest, She's Faking It, which was released at the end of June, she peels back the layers on what it means to be an Instagram influencer and why reality is always better than a social media life.

Here's the synopsis:
You can’t put a filter on reality.
Bree Bozeman isn’t exactly pursuing the life of her dreams. Then again, she isn’t too sure what those dreams are. After dropping out of college, she’s living a pretty chill life in the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego…if “chill” means delivering food as a GrubGetter, and if it means “uneventful”.
But when Bree starts a new Instagram account — @breebythesea — one of her posts gets a signal boost from none other than wildly popular self-help guru Demi DiPalma, owner of a lifestyle brand empire. Suddenly, Bree just might be a rising star in the world of Instagram influencing. Is this the direction her life has been lacking? It’s not a career choice she’d ever seriously considered, but maybe it’s a sign from the universe. After all, Demi’s the real deal… right?
Everything is lining up for Bree: life goals, career, and even a blossoming romance with the chiseled guy next door, surf star Trey Cantu. But things are about to go sideways fast, and even the perfect filter’s not gonna fix it. Instagram might be free, but when your life looks flawless on camera, what’s the cost?
I quite enjoyed Rockaway's last novel, How to Hack a Heartbreak (review here) so was totally on board with reading whatever she published next. On a Sunday in June, I sat down on the back patio with She's Faking It and a can of cider and barely moved until I had the book finished. Bree and her life completely captivated me and I had so much fun reading about all her ups and downs (so many downs!).

When the reader first meets Bree she is having a really shitty day. Her car's broken down right in front of the house of a former (asshole) professor and without a car, she can't work as a food delivery driver. It seems like the last straw in a long list of bad luck and bad decisions. Luckily, Bree's sister has her life together and can help with the immediate needs, like getting Bree's car fixed. That's just the start though. Bree needs to overhaul her life because she's stuck and is far too young to be stuck. But, on the flipside, she is a bit too old to be wandering aimlessly with no plan because she's too scared to face her issues and do what she'd really like to do (whatever that is and I personally know how difficult it is to figure that out).



While it was pretty painful to read about Bree's misadventures in the world of being an "influencer", I think it was done really, really well. So many people want to become Insta-famous (in both senses of the word) just so they can get free stuff. Some people do become well known for who knows what reason but a lot of those major influencers (even micro influencers) got to where they are because they have a story and a focused platform. Just getting a whole bunch of random items to post about and review is not going to make your Instagram page go viral. As Bree learns.

Rockaway also shines a light on those people who seem to have it all together and sell their expertise to "help" those who want to grow their following. And the light doesn't always show something good. The famous influencer Bree connects with isn't doing it for the right reasons (does anyone else always think of The Bachelor(ette) when that phrase is used?). She's just profiting off people who want to get famous and isn't teaching them anything of value. It was a hard lesson for Bree, and her sister, to learn but it was a good one. And it made for some highly dramatic and humorous scenes.

While I hate to use the cliched term, Bree's "journey" throughout the course of the book was a really good one. In part because it sure as hell wasn't easy. Also because she was adjusting every part of her life - personal, professional, familial, romantic, and friendships - it wasn't a fix one thing and the rest of her life fell into place. She had to fix everything. Or, if not fix, fine-tune. She had solid friendships and a relationship with her sister but there were some issues there too that were keeping those relationships from being the best they could be. Finally, she isn't perfect by the end of the novel. She still has some work to do but she knows she does and is in a much healthier place. It was a super realistic and lovely Happy For Now (even though I like to pretend it is a Happily Ever After because I'm a romantic sop like that).

She's Faking It is a great read for summer, especially this summer when we're all spending even more time online and on social media (who knew that could be a thing that could happen). Kristin Rockaway has written another real and really enjoyable contemporary novel with characters you'll love and a story you'll have a great time reading.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Graydon House/Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Have you, or would you ever, fake it to make it?⁣ Bree is stuck. She’s 25, has zero ambitions, no education, things are steadily falling apart around her, and she needs to make money fast. ⁣

So why not start an Instagram account and make money being an influencer?

Because It’s SO EASY RIGHT?!⁣

But when her account gets boosted by a self-help guru, she may just be faking it straight to internet stardom!⁣
⁣
Bree however, starts to make some serious bad decisions, and she realizes that Insta filter is not going to solve her problems.

This one had me laughing and cringing at the same time, was a totally relatable and entertaining story, and a great reminder that real life is much better unfiltered. ⁣
⁣
Another fun one from Kristin Rockaway!

I love a good story about a struggling young woman who ends up getting her act together! I loved that there was some romance in this one, however the chemistry was just not there for me. Trey’s issues with social media and his ex were such a big focus that Bree was keeping her instagram profile a secret from him because she knew he hated it.

I did however really enjoy the focus on influencers and social media. There was even a bookstagram mention! I love that even though social media was a huge part of this story, it shed light on the behind the scenes and even the ugly side of social media influencing! That is what really made the story for me.

I adored this book. It was right up the alley of what I was looking for–a beach read with substance. I initially picked up the ARC because it related to social media (my chosen field), but it ended up coming at just the right time. Obviously there is a lot going on right now in the world and it felt good just to escape somewhere else for a bit. 100% own that that is my privilege, but it’s true.

I did not want to put this down. The plot kept at a good pace–it starts with her being super depressed, but quickly ramps up. For the most part, the resolution was perfect. One slight issue I had with the plot is that it sorta downplays how hard it is to actually grow an IG account and how much work actual influencers out in. The author alludes to some of that, but there’s still a lot of language around taking ‘a quick selfie’ and that’s just not how it works.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reader copy (eBook) of She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway from Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. She’s Faking It is part of Harlequin Trade Publishing’s 2020 Summer Reads blog tour for Women’s Fiction and Romance.

“Fake it until you make it your reality.”

She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway is the perfect beach read: sun, sand, a hot surfer, and social media. When Bree Bozeman picks up a self-help book of a famous influencer, she is inspired to manifest her lifelong dreams into reality. Her new philosophy is, “Fake it until you make it your reality.” So, what better place to start “faking it” than Instagram? Bree decides to take a stab at creating and curating her online life as an Instagram Influencer, @breebythesea.

She’s Faking It should definitely be added to your Summer TBR. While it’s a light and fluffy contemporary read, it also covers a topic very relevant to this day and age – social media. I gave She’s Faking it 4 out of 5 stars! It was the first book I’ve read that depicted social media and Instagram Influencers in a non-glamourous way nor was it centered around cyberbullying or internet trolls.

As a blogger and Instagrammer, I laughed at the relatable mishaps Bree has as she tries to navigate Instagram as a newbie. Even readers who aren’t Instagram Influencers will enjoy this book because social media is such a big part of our daily lives. Most importantly, the book has a great philosophy, Fake It Til You Make It, which can positively pertain to our lives – online and off.

Check out my blog to read my full review:
http://www.candisbarbosa.com/book-review-she-s-faking-it-kristin-rockaway/

I read this one day. It was a super fast, easy read. What really struck me about this book was how Rockaway balances sarcastic, self-deprecating humor, with a kind of raw honesty and heart that seemed authentic even in a kind of fluffy book. The commentary on influence culture, getting free items that you might not actually care about, all in the hopes of getting likes and praise – whew. that sounds familiar if you’re a #bookstagrammer.

Also, I swear throughout reading this books I was the embodiment of the hand-clap emoji for anything related to the self-help guru DiPalma. Exploring spirituality, ways to improve yourself, and mental healthcare are all worthy endeavors, however I find there are a lot of folks out there that are either not critical enough of so-called gurus or again then that getting some crystals and cultivating a witchy-aesthetic will change your life. I loved that comeuppance in the novel and the ultimate emphasis on putting in the work to change your life and helping other people along the way. YES. THANK YOU.

My main critique of the book is that the ending seemed to wrap up a bit too quickly with a neat bow. I would have liked more time with Bree and the side characters after she found her way. Also, this is definitely, women’s fiction so the romance is not upfront and center & honestly I wanted more Trey in the book. He seemed like an interesting character that I would have like to see more of and see more of the blossoming relationship between him and Bree.

Despite a couple critiques, I think this is a fantastic summer read, especially with you’re looking for a quick read!

Favorite Quotes:

I could almost hear the squeak and clank of wheels turning in her head as she tried to piece together the solution to this problem.

Everyone always talked about finding your passion as if it was this evasive creature you had to smoke out of a burrow. They also seemed to operate under the assumption that everyone had a passion to find. But I had long since accepted the sad reality that I was born passionless.

“Did you Google me?” He looked horrified, as if I’d admitted to hacking his email or rifling through his underwear drawer.


My Review:


The main character in this story was a hot mess. Bree was barely eking by and subsisting on ramen and protein bars while living in a hovel at the intersection of denial and procrastination and begrudgingly relied on her older sister Natasha to constantly bail her out. Bree annoyed me and in no small measure, and while Natasha was her exact opposite, she annoyed me even more, yet their tale and antics kept me smirking in my exasperation. I was more than a bit fraught and a cauldron of conflicted energy until in the middle of a ridiculous desert retreat with a successful charlatan, Bree smartened up that faking it wasn’t making it. As par for the course with this wily author, her writing was wryly amusing, insightfully observant, colorfully detailed, and slyly entertaining.

The topic of Instagram influencers and the culture surrounding it has been very popular in fiction this year, and this one has a lot of humorous moments as Bree, who has been struggling to find herself, ends up getting caught up in the influencer world, saying yes to everything and sacrificing authenticity in the process. The best of this book is her relationship with her sister, and their touching connection is the part I would have liked more of.

I got a copy of this from @netgalley, but I ended up listening to it via @hoopladigital. I was a big fan of How to Hack a Heartbreak, and this wasn’t that. It was good, but it didn’t live up to the expectation I had for it. 🤷‍♀️ I didn’t like Bree for most of the book, and that’s hard. I understand floundering in your life, but Bree was just pathetic at times. The romance in this book was well developed either. I’d love to hear what you think if you haven’t read How to Hack a Heartbreak.

Bree Bozeman is struggling. She lives in a disgusting, not-quite-legit apartment over a stranger’s garage, which only reminds her of the loser ex-boyfriend who recently left her. Her car just died, which means she also just lost her job as a food delivery person. She has no money and no idea how she’s going to make her next rent payment.

Her uber-organized and successful sister is quickly losing patience with Bree, so she finally recommends Bree look into the teachings of popular self-help guru, Demi DiPalma, a mega-influencer on Instagram. Bree thinks Demi’s empty platitudes are a joke, but since she’s at rock bottom, she doesn’t have much to lose. She starts voicing her goals and intentions to the universe while repeating affirmations to herself…and, surprisingly, her life starts improving. She gets a new job, creates her own successful Instagram account, and even begins a new relationship.

Things are looking up for a while…until they all go to pieces again. Bree hits a few obstacles with her Instagram account, forgets to pay a few student loan bills, and fumbles some tricky conversations with her new man. Suddenly everything isn’t looking so rosy anymore. Her newfound mantras may not be enough to get Bree through this next wave of troubles, so she will have to dig deep to find the strength necessary to get her life back on track.

MY THOUGHTS
Good grief, that was a long synopsis. But Bree has A LOT of ups and downs in her circumstances and relationships, and the book makes space for all of them to fully play out. Despite Bree’s multifaceted train wreck of a life, I still assumed the main focus would be on her romantic relationship with Trey, the hot and famous surfer next door. But it wasn’t! And I was so happy for that. Instead, the most meaningful relationship in this book is Bree’s relationship with herself. Her relationship with her sister is a close second. It was a joy to watch Bree figure out what she wants in life and then to actually get it done. Seeing her apartment go from being a hoard-fest pit to a decluttered and organized peaceful home made my heart go pitter patter. It was just so easy to root for Bree, and I really loved the kinda crazy and entertaining ending. She’s Faking It is such a fun and surprisingly thoughtful summer read.

The story chronicles the dangers and reality of being a social media influencer.

The first 50% of the story was a how to book to start an Instagram account.

I was under the impression I was reading a contemporary romance. After the 50% Mark, I decided not to continuing reading

I was disappointed and was hoping to get a central romance theme.

I loved this story that mixes satire about the world of Instagram influencers and motivational gurus, women's fiction and romance.
The author delivers an entertaining and engrossing story that makes reflect, laugh and root for Bree and Trey as there's a lot of chemistry between them and both are clever and likable characters.
This is a feel-good story and I appreciated the way Bree turned her life and her relationship with her sister.
There's a lot of character development and the author writes well rounded and interesting characters.
The storytelling is good and never bores or drags always keeping your attention.
It was an excellent and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Graydon House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a fun easy beachy read. Kristin Rockaway made me feel good, laugh and smile with this sassy little tale. Bree is doing her thing and maybe it’s not what she thought she’d be doing, but it’s good enough. She is a top Grub Getter with loads of five star reviews. She’s living in Pacific Beach and maybe her studio apartment should be condemned, but it’s all hers. Her boyfriend may have recently dumped her but, she’s got a great BFF and a supportive sister. Then Bree’s car goes kaput and she doesn’t know what to do... When her bossy older sister Natasha shows up to help she also offers some unsolicited advice telling Bree she needs to get her life together. SO Bree posts a vision board on Instagram and this leads to her getting an offer as a nano influencer. Now Bree has become obsessed with likes and follows and perception. Humorous and a little over the top, this was a fun and pretty realistic look at social media.

What a fun read! Bree was a great character I just loved how authentic and vulnerable she was. Loved her relationship with her sister and how that developed throughout the story. The setting was great, especially because my oldest son lives in PB. There’s also some romance in the story with sexy surfer Trey, it was super sweet but I liked how it took a backseat to everything else in the story. A perfect summer read! Soneela Nankani narrated the audiobook end brought the perfect voice to Bree.

This book and emojis 🏖 🌮 📱 🤳🏼 🌊

*** Big thank you to Harlequin and Harper Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

DNF @25%
2020; Graydon House/HQN/HarperCollins

I enjoyed How to Hack a Heartbreak as I found the online dating storyline interesting and a bit different. In She's Faking It, Rockaway looks at Instagram and influencers. As a bookstagrammer (very small time) I was into the idea. I picked up this book a few times and then gave up as I did not feel any investment in Bree and her journey. I am pretty picky on romance books (well, most genres) and can be a bit of a moody reader.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

This is my first book from Kristin Rockaway and I absolutely loved it. Bree Bozeman feels like crap. She has a job at Grubgetter as a delivery driver, she has a crappy car that finally died on her while making a delivery and ignoring her check engine light that started flashing 3 weeks ago, she lives in a crappy space on top of someone's garage, her last relationship failed, and one of her professors from college said to her that she doesn't have what it takes for med school. Something that made her leave school. Life is just really hard for Bree and she just wants something good to happen for once.

Her sister Heather, whom has the best of intentions to help her sister, can come off as standoffish, judgmental, and annoying. With her obsessive organizing business and her husband being a orthodontist. Heather doesn't need to worry about struggling. You have to admire Bree's tenacity to better herself though. She may hate her job, but she does it so well. After finding out about a social media influencer, she decides to make her own Instagram and finally chase that lifestyle she so desperately was seeking. Her life seems to be going right on track including finding a hunky guy after creating her social media profile, but at what cost? I really enjoyed this beach read and definitely would recommend it. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.