I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Faking Reality is a read that I was really looking forward to picking up but somehow for me, it missed the mark and just wasn't quite there. I struggled to enjoy the reality show aspect of the story and the romance between Dakota and Leo didn't give me the swoon worthy, cute vibes I wished for. There were parts of the book that I did enjoy but overall it didn't achieve the all round excellent book experience I was hoping for it to meet.

If you are a YA fan and fan of HGTV shows then this is the perfect book for you. It features a really cute romance and will definitely be a great summer teen read.

An enjoyable look at a culture vastly different from my own. We often take that for granted and should try to learn more about the surroundings we have.

I think the marketing blurb for this book does a huge disservice to what the book is actually about, which left me feeling a little disappointed. The story was well written and the representation seemed to be well done (as someone who does not identify as Asian, I cannot fully speak to this representation), but I just wanted more of what the blurb had promised. Overall an okay read.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun and fast read that kept me engaged throughout the whole book! Dakota McDonald was an enjoyable character I felt that I could relate to even if she was a reality TV star. I also felt for her being stuck in the “friend zone” as I personally know what that feels like. I found all the characters to be relatable and engaging. I especially loved the Matsuda family!

The story was fun and the whole book had a easy flow about it. I also enjoyed the use of Japanese throughout the story. In some books, the change of language can be jarring and hard to follow but I didn’t have that problem at all in this book.

Overall, well written story that I would recommend to a friend.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that left me feeling conflicted. There was so much about the book that I enjoyed. The exploration of what life is like behind the scenes in the world of reality television. The sharing of life as a second generation Asian American (particularly Avalon). The descriptions of food. The realities of family and friendships. And the writing was solid. But I'm not quite sure what to make of the plot. I feel like the synopsis is a distorted view of the book. Perhaps it is what the author wanted it to be before the plot got in the way. Perhaps it is the marketing department trying to make the book something that it is not. Either way, it feels like a disservice to the narrative at the heart of the story.

I requested this book to read from NetGalley expecting it to be one thing, and it was altogether something else entirely. It felt like it was in the last handful of chapters is where the story described in the synopsis happened. And even then it wasn't really wrapped up in a tidy way, but instead felt rushed. I really wanted to enjoy this book more.

3/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dakota has been hurt by romance before, especially considering the fact that her family's TV show made her embarrassment and pain go viral. She learned just how horrible it can be to have your entire life on TV. Meanwhile, she's wrestling with her feelings for her best friend Leo, whose family owns a Japanese restaurant. His life is rather suffocating, and he can't wait to be free.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it just wasn't what I thought it would be. I was excited to see Asian American rep, but I wish I could have enjoyed the story more.

First of all, the synopsis is somewhat misleading. Potential spoilers incoming, so skip to the next paragraph if you'd like to avoid them. The synopsis implies that Dakota isn't in a rush to get into another relationship, but that's not really true. She does A LOT of pining in the first part of the book and seems very willing to date again, in my opinion. Also, the synopsis implies that Leo's restaurant is in danger and that this is a huge motivation for Dakota. This randomly happens towards the very end of the book, and I definitely wouldn't consider one of Dakota's main motivations. It's a relatively unimportant part of the novel. Lastly, I would hardly consider Dakota as Leo's secret crush. I won't say much, but that is really not an accurate description.

Putting aside the synopsis, I just couldn't get into the story. I never got very attached to Dakota or Leo. The whole TV show thing didn't really appeal to me--it wasn't described much except to discuss things that annoyed Dakota or made her life difficult. I also felt like the story moved slowly. The romance was a bit all over the place and took way too long to pick up. Some of the side characters seemed to get tossed to the wayside by the end of the book.

Ultimately, I enjoyed certain aspects of the book, but it wasn't enough to keep my interest.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Dakota McDonald, her entire life has been a reality show - literally. Her parents are the stars of a well loved home refurbishment show, and when they unexpectedly found out they were pregnant during season 4, her entire childhood has played a role in the plot of the show. She's never really minded it, having her privacy at school and at her best friend, Leo's, family restaurant, but when she was pranked by her date at last years homecoming, resulting in a wardrobe malfunction, a viral meme, and even a SNL skit, she's wary for her personal life to be shown on screen. For the final season, and Koty's upcoming 16th birthday, the network want to host a massive Sweet 16 party for her, complete with a handsome date, to model tuxedos from a sponsor. To say Koty is wary would be an understatement, but when her relationship with Leo is put firmly in the Friend Zone, she knows she needs to do this to start to heal. Will she find someone to be happy with, or will her feelings for Leo be too much to overcome? For Leo, he wants to be able to step out from his responsibilities at the family restaurant, as the only son, and be able to go to Japan with Koty and others in the Japanese Culture Club this summer, but money is tight. Can he get over his fear of being in the public spotlight, and let Koty use her fame to help his yakisoba business at the school fair and more?

I will admit, this was a bit of an impulse request on NetGalley, but any book that is compare to My Big Fat Greek Wedding is bound to get my attention and though this wasn't a carbon copy, I can really see what that reference was made. Leo is from a Japanese family, as is Koty's mother, and they are both part of the Japanese Culture Club. Learning the language, watching Japanese shows, and talking about their family histories is really important for them both, and I liked how the book didn't sugar coat everything, and even touched on the topic of Japanese American internment camps during and following the Second World War. There's a trip to Nagoya that the school club is planning on doing this summer, and the city is important to both Koty and Leo, so to go on the trip would be a dream. For Koty, she can easily afford it, but it's more difficult for Leo, and she would do anything to help him get on the trip, even talking about her private life more online and on the show. However, it is awkward after they nearly kissed in the walk in fridge, and Leo firmly placed her in the Friend Zone. So, Koty tries to move on, and finds herself auditioning dates at the restaurant prior to her party - first actors who are arrogant and stuck up, and then Alex, a family friend of one of the production team, and they really hit it off. I liked Alex, and though it was clear that Koty and Leo were endgame, it was nice seeing Koty come out of her shell, try more normal, teenage things, and grow, before they got together.

For anyone who likes watching reality shows like the one depicted in the book, it was a joy to see the behind the scenes of what it is like being a 'star', and especially in today's day and age, when all of your actions are examined and criticised on social media and in the tabloids. Koty is treated as a DIY Princess, thought to be a diva, and some of the coverage about her is downright cruel, but she copes extremely well - though a little guarded. I really disliked the producer, Phil, who wanted his pound of flesh from Koty, and tried to get more and more juicy material for the show, even invading her privacy or causing scenes to be made all for ratings. I felt like Koty dealt with it all so well, though, especially when faced with trolls and others who wanted to pull her down, and the final scenes showed this off perfectly. Such a good YA read, perfect, I'd say, for summer reading!

I liked this book, it was so good to see the representation for Asian Americans and I loved all the Japanese food. The story wasn’t what I was expecting from the synopsis, I liked it but I don’t feel like I really connected, and it just felt like something was missing. I wasn’t a big fan of the romances, but overall a good book

Loved it!!! Such a great book that has you looking deeper into people and who they are. It will keep you wanting to read it all the way to the end.

I'm not sure what i was expecting from this book, but it wasn't what I got. When I picked this up, I wanted something that was light and fluffy. This was halfway there, but something was missing.

Part of the problem was that I never connected, or understood the characters. Dakota was a character on a reality show, but I never really understood what the show was... They fixed houses and built things, but we never really got to see them building things. And, she was uncomfortable with being the spotlight, which I understand, but also clashed with her being on a TV show.

And the romances in this were a mess. I never cared about Alex, because it was painfully obvious Dakota and Leo would end up together. Because of this, the entire middle of this just dragged on and on. There was nothing that made me care about the romances, so it fell flat.

This is one of those books that I just feel nothing towards. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. It's just there. It's not something I see myself rereading, and not something I see myself recommending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sara Fujimura for providing a free copy in exchange exchange an honest review!

Dakota McDonald is America’s DIY Princess. Koty has spent her entire life in the public eye as part of her parents HGTV renovation show. While there are benefits to living in this fictional world of reality tv, like never worrying about money, getting all sorts of free stuff, and a nice new car for her sixteenth birthday, Dakota also must deal with the downside. Her life is constantly in the limelight and under the scrutiny of the fans, and not always nice ones. Because people constantly use her for their fifteen minutes of fame, or to take down the DIY princess, Koty has some trust and boundary issues. Especially after an incident at last year’s homecoming dance that went viral. She has a small circle of friends that she has let in and keeps most everyone else out. This protects here, but also protects the people in her life from the paparazzi. Luckily, the show is wrapping up its final season ending on a high note by throwing Dakota a huge sweet sixteen bash that will air live. As the show is coming to an end Dakota can finally figure out who she wants to be after it all ends.

This was sweet YA fiction book. While it passes itself off as a romance, the romance is pretty light throughout the book and I wouldn’t say that it is the main focus. The focus is really Koty’s journey of becoming someone new outside of the reality tv world. It has themes around identity, being there for those you care about, and overcoming obstacles, which many teens will connect with. I liked that it had characters that are diverse in their race and gender, allowing those teens to see themselves in a book. It was also interesting to see a bit of Japanese American history embedded within the story.