This book was disappointing. I enjoyed previous books from Fujimura, but Faking Reality lacks the character and story development of her past books. I never warmed up to Dakota. The character was never fully formed and we never got to know her. Leo, the object of Dakota's affection, is kind of a jerk. Leo knows Dakota likes him and doesn't care if he hurts her with constant PDA with another girl. Fujimura adds another possible love interest for Dakota but never develops him beyond being an average baseball player. This book had potential, but that potential was never realized.

Faking Reality is about Dakota (aka Kota), a sophomore in high school who has grown up in front of the cameras on her parents’ HGTV reality show. She has a few safe spaces that are free of paparazzi, which is super important because of something embarrassing that happened last year at school. Leo is her best friend, who lives a very different life, but they have known each other pretty much their entire lives. They are both part-Japanese and enjoy learning and speaking in Japanese. When Koty’s feelings for Leo are not reciprocated, their friendship takes a hit, all while Koty’s family show is wrapping up its final season. This book jumps into things without giving a ton of background, so you feel a little like you’re playing catch-up at first, but once you’re up to speed, it is a great read. The conflicts and experiences don’t follow the typical teen romance novel, but are still interesting and relatable. I stayed up way too late to find out how this one ended!

Faking Reality by Sara Fujimura is a fun rom-com about friendship, family, and following your dreams. The characters are realistic and relatable in this fast-paced young adult romance story.

Faking Reality was my first Sara Fujimura book and it was so cute! Getting to know Dakota and how she grew up in the public I was such an interesting twist on the YA romcom from big movie stars or rich kids. Yes Dakota had it all and didn’t need to worry about money but had to be careful in life by exposing herself too much to those who would exploit or criticize her. But all she wanted was to turn her crush into something more.
Cute story, wonderful background into Japanese culture and especially the food, and love the HGTV angle.

I really loved the setting and plot of this book. I found it very creative to add HGTV into the plot, it was a good detail! I also really loved the setting, a birthday bash was a good idea. In addition to this, I loved the main character. I loved that she finally stood up for herself in the end of the book. I have never read a book by Sara Fujimura, but I loved this one! The cover was super cute and creative, which I really liked! I also really liked how this book was short and sweet, Overall, I really loved this one and can’t wait for her next book!

I loved so much about Sara's first book and was so hyped for this one but couldn't get into this. I found myself confused following what was happening and struggling to stay engaged. I couldn't figure out the logic of this show, or the protagonist's relationship with Japan. Ran out of time, and was unengaged. DNF.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge + NetGalley for the e-advance publicity review copy of FAKING REALITY by Sara Fujimura, expected pub date July 13, 2021.

A fantastic summer read about reality TV, growing up in the public eye, a sweet romance, social media, and Japanese/American identity + culture.

I liked this book which is about a girl named Koty who was kind of forced onto her family's show when she was born during season 4 and now the finale has come but that means she needs a date. After the Homecoming disaster, she doesn't have much trust in guys and the only person she wants to go with is her best friend (and crush), Leo. I enjoyed this book that involved a lot of diverse characters and information about Japanese food and culture. The pacing was slow but I do have to say the story plotline was well structured. Another thing I noticed when reading this book was that I was confused why it wasn't in both Koty and Leo's pov as the summary made it sound it would be. I went into the story thinking there will be two povs but was disappointed to only find Koty's.

The main character in this book is Koty who is a sophomore in high school. I enjoyed how she was a mature character and as a famous tv persona, she was a kind person and didn't care about her fame. There wasn't much character development in this book as most of the story was about Koty finding her partner for the dance. The side characters were well involved in this book and I enjoyed how the parents were also involved in the book. They were all well written and brought in many conflicts to the story. The romance in this book was okay as I felt it was a little forced and could have been better with Leo's pov being involved.

The ending of this book was very well done and I enjoyed the outcome of everything that happened. Sara did a great job with blending the Japanese culture into a contemporary romance book that I will never forget. Even though there were some minor problems with this book, I do have to say that I'm a huge fan of learning new cultures so that was just a major plus for me. Also, I enjoyed the storyline and thought it was well done. I think this book is perfect for fans of friends to lovers romance and Some Kind of Wonderful.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

It’s never easy living life online, and Dakota’s reign as America’s DIY Princess was coming to a close. Once the cameras were gone, she would be able to live her life as an average teen. After the final episode of her family’s HGTV show, her first line of business would be turning her crush into something more.

When I picked up this book, I thought the romance would be the part that grabbed me most, but I found myself more interested in the challenges Dakota faced growing up on TV. Even before she was born, her parents’ fans knew about her, and she grew up right before their eyes. It was one of those things that’s a blessing and a curse. It was blessing to be part of successful show and get to create things with her parents. Dakota didn’t have to worry about how she would pay for college or anything like that. She did, however, have to live her life carefully because it seemed like someone was there waiting for her to mess up or ready with to pass harsh judgments about her.

Constantly being in the public eye presented many challenges for Dakota. It was difficult for her to know who her real friends were or to do something as simple as date. This exploration of living in the spotlight was done really well, and I had a lot of compassion for Dakota and all the things she had to sacrifice for her family’s show. But this was also about Dakota trying to figure out who she was if she wasn’t the DIY Princess as the show wraps up. That’s a lot for a teen to deal with, especially one whose entire life was defined by this show.

Other things I really enjoyed were being on the set of the show. The concept was interesting. They would do restoration, but incorporate history into it. I thought these parts were fabulous. In fact, I enjoy all Dakota’s builds and projects. I almost wish there was more of that.

It was also fun spending time at Leo’s family’s restaurant. There were many great moments of friendship and family bonding, but also food! So. Much. Food. I was really craving Japanese after reading this book. The food descriptions were quite vivid, and I had a long list of things I wanted to eat by the end of this story.

Overall: This was a sweet story about friendship, family, and change with a touch of romance, and lot of Japanese culture.

OMG this book was so cute. I think the cover is amazing and so fitting. I think this book just was everything and the perfect summer read.

The characters showed how well the spotlight can effect the normal day to day. Instagram and YouTube fame are represented well. I appreciate the Japanese heritage that was presented and respected through the book. It was much deeper than a simple love story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this ARC!
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Overall, this was a real middle of the road book for me. The characters had their moments, both good and bad. I liked the reality TV aspect sometimes, and other times, it was too much, just like it was for Dakota.

If I'm honest, I enjoyed the cultural moments sometimes more than the actual plot of the book, but it was a good palate cleanser, if you need an easy read.

After her BFF rejects her declaration of love, a teen HGTV reality star has to audition boys to be her date to a televised Sweet Sixteen bash that she's already dreading.

I loved the voice and cast of this adorable YA romance. The protagonist is a quarter Japanese and Fujimura incorporates Japanese culture and language seamlessly throughout the narrative. I also appreciated the "reality diva" twist: that the protagonist stars in an HGTV show where she gets to renovate houses and other building projects. It is refreshing when a "TV princess" shows up in steel-toed work boots. The gradual build of the romance was actually less engaging for me than the protagonist's personal growth, wrestling with issues of privacy and agency and the pros/cons of being a ratings success. I highly recommend this one to fans of fun, hopeful, but thought-provoking YA contemporary fiction!

This is a cute book for those wanting a super clean romance title. It was heart warming and adorable. With cute characters and a great plot you will be swooning by the last page.



Go Into This One Knowing: Clean Romance

I only got as far as Chapter 2. The characters were not interesting or engaging at all. The pace was too slow.

This book was a cute easy read. Wasn't really what I expected when I started reading but enjoyed nonetheless!

I've never really been a fan of HGTV shows and picked this one up, hoping I'd get into it. But the first chapter was kind of boring, nothing really special about it.

As an HGTV nerd, the synopsis of this pulled me in immediately. This was a fun and sweet read that I want to read all over again. If you’re a fan of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series, you should definitely try this out because it’s got the same level of sweetness and romance.

Highschool student Dakota (or Koty) McDonald has been a part of her parents’ hit HGTV show since birth. But after the disaster at her homecoming dance goes viral, Dakota refuses to let her personal life take centre stage on the show again. That is, until the network convinces Dakota (with the help of a brand-new car) to have an epic sweet sixteen party on the series finale of the show. The only problem? The tuxedo company sponsoring the party needs Dakota to bring some “arm candy” to her party. With her BFF (and secret crush) Leo off the market, Dakota is forced to start interviewing network-approved models and actors to be her date. On top of that, Koty tries to help Leo save his family’s struggling Japanese restaurant and earn enough money to pay for their school trip to Japan. Will Dakota finally get her prince charming, or will her love life turn into another viral moment?

Faking Reality is a coming-of-age story dealing with themes such as empowerment, desire to escape, appearance versus reality, fame, family, love and heartbreak, wealth, culture and race, social media, and gender identity. This book really emphasised the importance of family, being true to oneself, and going after what you want. It also reinforced the fact that “reality” TV isn’t always real and isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. Faking Reality uses the friends to lovers trope and would be perfect for fans of Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, and Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean as well as fans of HGTV shows like Fixer Upper, Good Bones, and Home Town. It would also be a great fit for fans of Sweet 16 by Kate Brian and fans of the reality TV show My Super Sweet 16.

Firstly, since I don’t speak Japanese, I found that the inclusion of Japanese words and dialogue, which weren’t always translated into English, interrupted my reading experience somewhat. It also would have been great to have some more information when the characters were discussing Japanese traditions and locations. It would have also been great if the book was longer, especially because I would have loved to read about Koty and Leo’s Japan trip, as well as what happened to Koty (and her “Prince Charming”) after the conclusion of the book and the finale of Koty’s HGTV show.

On the upside, I thought that this book was unique, and I loved the inclusion of the HGTV show! It was great to get a behind the scenes look at a famous family, including all the scandals, invasions, compromises, and schedules that the McDonald’s needed to navigate to make their show a success. It was also fun to read about Koty’s elaborate sweet sixteen plans, which included a tiara, a celebrity musical appearance, a cake fit for a wedding, a choreographed dance, a massive guest list, expensive giveaways, and last-minute changes!

Overall, I thought that this was a cute, fun, and unique YA read that is best suited for those who enjoy HGTV and the friends to lovers trope!

Faking Reality is an interesting YA book about the daughter of a HGTV-like franchise, contending with growing up both on- and off-screen. The reality TV angle is what really drew me in, and I liked that portion the most within the plot. Although the book was a little bit predictable, it was still an enjoyable, fun and breezy read.