WOW!!! WHAT A DELICIOUS BOOK!!! I found him very unpretentious and I was totally invested in the story. I couldn't find out before who were the people behind the accounts so it was very good to be surprised, I was obsessed with him and I couldn't let go until I finished reading (which happened quickly because the writing is super fluid!). The characters were excellent too! Daniel is definitely one of my favorite characters now, my only problem with the book was a passage where the characters talked about Hiroshima and I didn't really like the "joke" tone at the time, it was kind...bad. Other than that, it was a young adult book that delivered exactly what it promised and I came away very satisfied from reading it. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

A cute read about a high schooler who exacts revenge on her ex by out exist him.
Wisdoms comes with age, most of the time, and I was glad the main character stopped obsessing about her ex and moved on, giving Daniel a chance.
The ending is good, but most people never come to resolutions with their exes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. I have read one of the author's adult romance novels before, and I was looking forward to reading this YA romance. I didn't realize that it was part of a series, but you don't have to read the previous book in order to follow this one.
I didn't always agree with the main character or her choices but it's. YA so of course teens will make dumb decisions, but I loved MC in this as well. Great for anyone who loves the fake dating trope.

I really enjoyed this and how much representation was in it. It was a super quick read for me and I had so much fun!! I absolutely loved Daniel!!!

I've read and enjoyed other books by Farah Heron, so I was excited to read this one as well and it didn't disappoint. It was a cute YA that I read on my kindle - thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy!

I enjoyed the characters and their journeys of self discovery. While the story was mildly predictable, the romance was cute and I liked the book a lot. I read this one really quickly, so if you like YA and enjoy this author, go ahead and add this one to your shelf!

How to Win a Breakup by Farah Heron is a delightful book to read and is now my favourite Farah Heron book. Lots of heartbreak and drama in this novel ,but that is what makes this book an interesting read. There is gaming , baking and a lot of volunteering by a group of great high schoolers whose friendship are tested and constantly challenged. Some friendships end and some grow into love. I also love the lemon 🍋 square recipe and can’t wait to make them . Bravo Farah and looking forward to your next book.🙋‍♀️🇨🇦❤️📚🍋🍋

When her school’s notorious anonymous gossip Insta starts comparing her and her ex, Samaya has had enough. Clearly, he is “winning” this breakup, but not for long if Samaya has anything to do with it. With the help of the gorgeous boy she’s getting volunteer hours with(he’ll be her fake boyfriend in exchange for help with calculus) she might have a shot at taking the victory.

I LOVE A FAKE DATING STORY. Not only are Samaya and Daniel adorable together, but the setting where they get to know each other, the shelter they volunteer at, was such a meaningful and safe place. Some of my fave moments there were with Yasmin, a sweet young girl who loves fairies - she helped to create genuine connection to the shelter and the people who rely on it.

Daniel, baking extraordinaire and hockey enthusiast, was such a kind and open person with a smile for everyone. As Samaya stresses about the school gossip, he is able to balance out that energy and allow her focus to shift, if only slightly at first. He is earnest and generous, and lends a different perspective. I adored him.

Samaya also gets a great arc of self discovery, and I binged most of this book past my bedtime to finish it. I would LOVE a Cass book, because they rule. Also selfishly because I want a future Daniel cameo. And Owen.

Definitely recommend!

Cute baking and video game YA contemporary? It's like Emm bait. But it truly was adorable and SUCH. a quick read. (Literally the palate cleanser I needed so I could actually fall asleep after the horror book I finished previously)

Farah Heron knows how to write fake dating and slow burn romances, it's an art. I loved the various plot arcs, from the Lady Whistledown style gossip instagram to the game development club. It was busy, but so is high school. Samaya comes into her own in this book as she discovers that life DOES exist outside of videogames and high school clout. Daniel is, of course, the sweetest bumbleberry pie hockey himbo and a fabulous foil to Sam. It was also such fun seeing Tahira being a doting older sister and chasing her fashion dreams. Overall just a precious book for when you need something HAPPY to read.

*Thank you to Skyscape and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a young adult book perfect for gaming lovers. The book follow a math genius who gets dumped by her boyfriend . If that is not enough he hooks up with someone that she cannot stand. But the best revenge is dating someone new. While volunteering she meets Daniel and they pretend to date and she helps him with calculus.. Absolutely a delightful read about fake-dating, first love, heartbreak and self-discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love the diverse characters with different cultures and life experiences. I love all the baked goods like I was craving lemon squares (and i’ve never had a lemon square). I love the premise of the book with a math-genius gamer girl teaming up with a sunshine, hockey player who loves to bake, to form a fake relationship. However, I personally felt like the execution wasn’t the best.

The book starts off with so much information being told to the reader all at once. I’m sure the information was important towards the main character’s thought progress and story but it just felt like too much background! Like I didn’t need to know that the main character went to math class and took an exam. It felt like I experienced a whole school day with her in the first few chapters (how exhausting)

I understand building a foundation for the plot but it felt so chaotic with so much going on for the main character! I lowkey had headaches trying to keep up! like there's an anonymous gossip account that for some reason is obsessed with the main character's love life. there’s a mystery surrounding the identity of her gaming partner. the question of who took the picture of Daniel at the shelter. With all this happening, there's also the main(?) plot of Samaya fake dating to convince everyone she's over her ex while trying to build a gaming app!!

The book had an overwhelming beginning along with a tedious pacing. So, once the real plot actually began (20% in), I was already getting bored!

Throughout the book, Samaya is too focused trying to navigate through all these problems, that the book ended up being about said problems! I couldn’t really connect with Samaya because of this and that there wasn’t much depth to her character. I love Daniel’s character tho! He felt like a nice reprieve from everything! Honestly I wish we got more of him or his pov! Sam and Daniel were cute too! I would’ve liked to see more of their romance/relationship!

I feel like some of the dialogue between some characters felt inserted instead of genuine conversation. Like the author wrote in dialogue for the purpose to create a “connection” between characters and move the story along. I feel like the author should build more on the relationships between the characters instead all the different conflicts going on.

Also, at times, it felt like the transition to one scene to the next felt abrupt! For example, there would be dialogue still being spoken and then it would skip to a different scene.

Honestly I was expecting a cute romance but this book just gave me stress from mentally trying to keep with all the things

Fake relationship, gaming, baking - what would you wish for more in a YA rom-com? Well, the first half of the book doesn’t make big promises; it goes slow, sometimes even annoying especially with Samaya being… herself. Then something happens and the story starts to get cuter and more interesting. But not interesting enough for me to not forget about this book quicker than expected. I might have not been the targeted audience.

Overall, average high school rom com.

This was super cute and I enjoyed watching Samaya's growth. Daniel was so cute and such a good person who loves her so much. I loved seeing them bake together and develop their relationship. I understand why she was trying to stay friends with her ex's friends but I wish she would have dropped them sooner.

I received an arc through netgalley.

You know what, that was actually so good. I've struggled with this author before due to the Muslim representation but it was much better in this book Let's talk about the cover. It's so relevant to the so relevant to the story. The book is about baking ,Gaming and young love.

I love the big family vibes and and the South Asian rep. The actual plot was very well executed. We had fake dating mixed with a love triangle.

I love the writing, I found it very funny. I think this would be a great book for a young person.

Short description:
Samaya gets dumped by her boyfriend, who also sabotages her job & hooks up w. her frenemy. To get revenge she finds a fake boyfriend - the handsome jock Daniel .

Rating:
3.5-4 out of 5 stars

Review:
This book was really comforting in a YA rom-com type of way. The book was also very quick to catch my attention within the first chapters, which is a huge plus.

I also liked how non-toxic Daniel was - a nice cinnamon roll in a world of full of bread. All down to earth and adorable with his baking obsession. I do think that he could have had more depth as his character sometimes felt superficial throughout the book. This was also an issue with some of the other characters in the book, which is also why the rating is 3.5-4/5 stars.

Samaya was an interesting character. She was intelligent and strong minded. When I started to read the book, she would sometimes annoy me with how she tried to change everything about Daniel, and was very focused on her own problems. But then I started to think about it, and it's really realistic young teen behaviour. To be a bit selfish and think the world revolves around you.

I did like the plot and the nostalgic teen movie vibes that the book gave. For some reason I kept thinking of the Disney movie Red Panda while reading this book. Maybe it's because the book is also set in Canada, and revolves around a girl and her friend group.

Imagine Red Panda ♥️🐼 but with elements like:
*Gaming 🎮
*baking 🥧
*Hockey🏒
*fake dating 🎭
*lots of diversity (nationality + religion + non-binary rep)👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏼
* YA rom-com vibes (age of characters are: 17) 📚

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Skyscape, for this e-ARC. This review contains my honest opinion about the book.

Such a fun and cute read! Quite a bit happening in the story which kept it interesting! Loved the STEM and characters from other cultures rep.

How can a book be this adorable, entertaining, heartfelt and full of with joy and not to mention delish food?
I am obsessed with book about baking/cooking and Farah Heron mastered this so well. I have read Tahira in Bloom so I know the inevitable was coming: falling for How to Win a Breakup.

This was so far the best and most annoying (in a super good way) fake-dating scheme I have read - all the drama was hilarious yet so real! Loved the gender-swapped roles about being a gamer and a baker - finally gives a good idea about how you can be anything you set your mind on - no matter your gender!

Diverse, realistic story about what follows a breakup and what length someone goes to heal!

Thank you so much Skyscape for the e-galley!!

Thanks to NetGally for the advanced reader copy of this book. After a pretty devastating breakup with her high school boyfriend of two years Devin leaving Samaya in shambles, our main character decided with the help of her friend to doctor a photo of her and a pretty good looking guy who just happened to be a volunteer at a shelter she also volunteers at!! Um what a coincidence! However, Samaya pushes on and gets Daniel, Mr. volunteer to date her to make it look like the breakup with Devin meant nothing and she will have the last laugh. And therein lies the drama that unfolds in this YA romcom!
Let's start with the good. The representation of different backgrounds, nerds and gamer life, and sexual orientation was well received. I liked the writing and some of the characters very relatable coming from a first generation immigrant, your typical high school scene...and drama! There is definitely a Gossip Girl influence in the story and I love that!! Any book that ties in food and cooking...I think if done well adds another layer to the story and the author did amazing at that.
Now on the other side of the coin, these things weren't bad but the story kinda became boring after the first half of the book. I also felt like Samaya was so easily influenced by her friends..like girl STAND UP!! I do like a fake dating trope but I don't think 17 year olds are equipped with experience and emotional intelligence needed to actually fool anyone! I wasn't convinced sometimes as a reader.
Overall, three star read!

I loved this cute YA novel!

Samaya and Devin are couple goals at their high school, which makes their breakup before the summer all the more shocking. It doesn’t help that Earl’s Whispers, a Lady Whistledown-esque Instagram account, makes it a competition of who is winning the breakup.

Samaya hatches a scheme with Daniel, her new community service partner, that will benefit them both: calculus tutoring for him in exchange for a few fake dates and Instagram posts of them together.

I enjoyed this story, and thought it was an easy read that felt like a classic teen movie. It was really sweet to see Samaya and Devin get to know and grow to care so much for each other, and I loved how Samaya realizes some of her priorities are misplaced.

I recommend this if you like:
📖 Fun YA stories
🎮 Gaming
🥧 Baking
❣️Fake dating

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Skyscape, for this e-ARC. This is my honest review.

Another great YA book from Farah Heron - she writes characters so well that it makes me feel like I'm back in high school. This story was emotional without being overly heavy, and I loved seeing Samaya's growth over the course of the book. Also loved that the lemon square recipe was in the back of the book - I will definitely need to try it out! This book is a stand alone, but if you enjoyed it, Samaya's sister has a book as well (that was also excellent).

After her boyfriend broke up with her, sabotaged her upcoming summer job, and started dating her frenemy, Samaya wanted to appear the winner of their breakup. Of course, what better way than to start a fake relationship with Daniel, the handsome jock and baking whiz at the shelter where she started to volunteer at?

Daniel was so sweet, so cheerful, so supportive, and the cutest pastry-loving (and baking) jock ever 🥰 Samaya got to realise what real friendships look like, and shed off the inherent urge to be a people pleaser. She came into her own, and it was all so amazing. Seeing them fall for each other was beautiful.

All the talk of pies, lemon squares, cookies, made me hungry 😂 I can definitely relate to Samaya on the raisin-hating scale (don't come for me please 🙈😂) I also loved the mystery surrounding who was behind the gaming profile chatting with Samaya.

This was my first book by this author and I loved it. I can't wait to read about her sister Tahira.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC.