This was so good. I loved it. I thought thatvit was a perfect getting even romance. And yeah know people who have had this exact experience and only wished they thought of getting even this way. And this author is on point! I have started following and am anxious to read more from her.
I just reviewed How to Win a Breakup by Farah Heron. #HowtoWinaBreakup #NetGalley
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Many thanks to Skyscape and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. Fake dating has never been more appealing when put in an academically-rigorous setting and written by the lovely Farah Heron! This book follows coding nerd Samaya who gets dumped by Devin, her boyfriend of two years who then proceeds to hook up with her frenemy. Frustrated and confused, Samaya hatches a plan to “win” the breakup when she meets Daniel, a hockey nerd with a love of baking. The two plan to fake date and get sweet, sweet revenge by showing up Devin. This book was ripe with teen drama, sweet treats, and a strangers-to-lovers romance that quickly became my favorite thing about the book. I was however frustrated by the lack of depth in the characters with seemingly nothing making me excited about seeing them succeed or sad about seeing them fail. Both Samaya and Daniel were more interesting when they dated each other and felt like halves of a whole when separated. Taking all of this into account, I decided to give the book a 3.3 out of 5 stars. My love for the fake dating trope was what really kept me turning each page. Overall, How To Win a Break Up was a sweet story that has tons of heart and soul stitched into every page.

Is Farah Heron a possible new fave? This is the second book I've read from her, and both did not miss.

After an unexpected breakup with her ex before summer, Samaya has enough of the gossip and decides she's going to win their breakup (hence the name of the book), which is where Daniel comes in: the fake boyfriend.

I really loved this. I think I will never not like a fake dating book. I'm slowly falling off the YA wagon when it comes to romance, but this never felt cringey or too young for me. I really enjoyed the fact that Tahira and Rowan were part of the story.

Samaya and Daniel were so cute together. Samaya - gamer girl, math genius, grump - was relatable to me (I'm not a math genius but I do enjoy maths) and Daniel - baker, hockey player, sunshine - was perfect to the point of impossibility where can I find one? I loved them both. The banter and the tension...oof. I also loved that Cass's pronouns were seamlessly put in. I've read some books where it felt forced, but here it felt natural.

My only problem with this was that the Instagram gossip-account-person reveal was boring and felt insignificant when Samaya focused on it for almost the entirety of the book.

Overall, so fun and so cute. I really want to get to more of Heron's work.

this was such a cheesy high school fake dating romance novel, and combined with the gaming and the rather compelling mystery catfish subplot, i found myself liking this book way more than i expected to. the diverse characters were well done, no one really felt left behind in terms of side characters and everyone got their moment in the sun, which is always nice.

the limited perspective worked well for the heavier discussions about homelessness and marginalised groups, and i felt towards the end our mc samaya had really started to go through some character growth and development that didn't feel rushed. the book was only a portion of her full story, so it felt good that the author didn't try to shoehorn in a complete character change and allowed the mc to just start on her deconstruction of her own prejudices. her inner monologue and the issues that she felt focused on also felt very realistic.

the only thing that i didn't love about this book was the writing style. at times the language used was very adult trying to write like a teenager, and there were also passages that were over explaining to me what the scene or what outfits looked like, instead of giving me a framework that allowed me to come up with an image myself. this wasn't a deal breaker for me though, because ultimately the other aspects of this book worked well enough that i was still compelled to keep reading.

I enjoyed the story line and character development. It was a little too much YA for my personal tastes ( nothing to do with the author). I wished for a little more revenge/drama/lovin scenes. It was a good read and a cutesy story,

I liked this novel-fake dating is one of my favorite tropes! I love how she found herself through the breakup, and how she carried herself at the end. I feel as though there was no real purpose to explicitly say she was muslim-she didn't do anything pertaining to the religion. I think that could have been left out. Other than that, I thought the book was good as a young adult, coming of age novel. I think it also showed how controlling the South Asian community is with education and obeying parents.

How to Win a Breakup is an absolutely charming YA romance. Farah Heron takes complex teen characters and throws them into the pressure cooker of family, friends, high school, social media and expectations. While the characters are typical teens and don’t always make great decisions, they are continually revealed to be good people who are trying their best.

4.5/5 stars

Samaya is a gamer girl, math wiz who is struggling to begin her final year of high school after her boyfriend Devin dumped her. She’s recovering from a rough summer, and her parents are pressuring her focus on classes and college resume activities. One of her bright spots is gaming with LostAxis, whose true identity is a mystery. She meets baker/hockey player Daniel when she volunteers at a shelter. Not only is he gorgeous, but he cheerfully bakes like a dream. Samaya asks Daniel to help her concoct a fake dating plan to help her save face at school, where her ex, his friends and a mysterious online gossip account are all giving her a hard time. From there, the plot takes off while Samaya navigates complex world of high school expectations and pressures.

I’m always a fan of fake dating, and Samaya and Daniel are adorable as they navigate the possible pitfalls. This romance is told entirely from Samaya’s point of view, which works in this book, as the reader discovers Daniel’s secrets along with Samaya.

I love that Samaya’s friends call her out when she’s too concerned about what other people think. She can be irritating in specific moments, but her behavior is spot on for a self absorbed 17 yr old. My favorite is her nonbinary bff Cass, who is a three dimensional teen with their own story to tell, not just a token character add on. The overall diversity in this book is a treat, and gives the story added depth.

How to Win a Breakup is an utterly charmed YA fake dating romance. Samaya and Daniel are fantastic characters, and their romance was only one aspect of their entertaining story. Farah Heron does a great job of combining favorite romance tropes in a YA setting without missing a beat.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

✨Revenge is best served baked by a hot hockey player.✨

What a tangled web we wove in this one, huh? If you’re one for the DRAMA this is the journey for you! I really loved the writing and read this in basically one sitting.

There’s just something about YA drama that loves ME. I’m so far removed from high school and grades and scholarships that I take such comfort in the fact that I never have to do that again.

✨Maybe some spoilers below? You’re warned.✨

The lies—at least lying to Daniel—didn’t last for too long because as soon as he knew what he needed to know, this turned into fake dating! I was holding my breath until the photoshopped secret was revealed, but it wasn’t long. YAY.

So that was only a little of the drama because WOOF that school culture was toxic as hell and I kinda wanted to Lana-got-coned Aimee 🍦because she was so FAKE. Jayden deserved to be challenged to a duel because good god we sword fight villains in 2023. Devin was kinda impressive in the sense that he just kept getting worse, but also so pathetic that it was hard not to empathize with him (impressive).Hana was honestly a great character and I’d have loved to explore her character and relationship with Samaya further. Cass was the MVP and very lovely and very real.

Daniel, my man, yes. Hockey player and baker? Yes. Samaya lost the plot for a while there—about what was really important in her life—but by the end she was a great character and I really loved her. She stood up for herself in really satisfying ways towards the end there. She made ✨choices✨ and the drama loved her, but I sure did love reading about it.

The ending and their “break-up” was just a bit hard because it was very understandable but gah! we’d been through so much by that point I was wrecked. On top of that, as soon as they made up it was over and I really did just want more of them fake dating and/or being a real couple/ doing couple things. We had good development in their relationship, but the romance did get a bit covered up by the reasons for fake dating…if that makes sense. I was also just a bit confused about the runner of the instagram gossip account—it felt a bit rushed when it was all revealed. I wanted a villain monologue!

Overall, this was a very fun time! I learned a lot about gaming and baking and how to maybe not acquire a fake boyfriend (stressful). I also really loved how Samaya started as a shelter volunteer but stayed after her hours were over! This will be a fun audiobook and a reread will probably be even more enjoyable because I’ll be less stressed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

By chapter 3 of this book, I knew it was going to be DRAMA and it did not disappoint! Between the fake dating, catfishing, shady friends and Earls Whispers, there was no shortage of drama that had me trying to solve the identity of the catfish and whisperer.

I really loved seeing Samaya grow throughout the books, especially when she stopped worrying about what other people thought of her and acknowledged her privilege. I loved her need for revenge (a common theme for me lol). She was very dedicated to getting what she wanted no matter the means.

Daniel is top-tier boyfriend material. Even though I try to avoid guys named Daniel LOL, I loved his banter and the depth of him. He had so many layers and it gave us so much to uncover about him.

Overall, I love the dynamics of Samaya and Daniel as they grew and navigated the crazy situation they got themselves tangled in,

Such a cute fake dating book!

The protagonist of our book is amazing and hardworking, I loved reading about her and her characteristics/characterization.

The love interest of the book was adorable and I loved how the couple's relationship developed.

I appreciate and love the fact that this is a desi book and the representation is visible in the book.

I adored this one! Samaya and Daniel were so great! I also loved all the baking! I liked Samaya's friend Cass and how she always stood by her. I liked seeing her sister Tahira again and seeing how close they are as sisters.
Devin had what he deserved coming for him. I loved that Samaya stood up for herself towards him.
A great, nerdy, baking eccentric book for teens!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this story and I will now be reading all of the other books Farah Heron has written.

How to Win a Breakup is written in first person POV, following Samaya’s journey as she finds herself again after a bad breakup. Samaya is forced to reevaluate everything- her friends, her values, the way she views herself, etc. I loved seeing her character growth.

This is YA, and there was a lot about social media, texting, and gaming, but I still really enjoyed the story and the characters as an adult. There are many heavy topics, and a big chunk of this story takes place in a women’s shelter. My heart broke a few times, but I was ultimately left with more hope than I came in with. Other recurring themes are privilege, parental pressure, racism, elitism.

This story provides a cute spin on the fake dating to real dating trope, mixed in with some fake identities, delicious baked goods, and even some mysteries to solve.

Some things that stuck out to me were the absence of Samaya’s parents, mainly her father. I kept forgetting she had a father because he was mentioned so little and only really made an appearance at the very end. One other thing that didn’t satisfy was the mystery of who was behind the gossip social media account. That was wrapped up with little motive.

It was quite an interesting and enjoyable read. The main character was very relatable at times. And oftentimes it felt more of coming of age story than a mere YA. I couldn’t seem to put it down until and unless I have finished it. So it’s a 5 stars read for me

“The people who actually care about you don’t care about what everyone else thinks about you.”

I was hooked by the cover and of course because it is a YA book🙈 and after knowing that the main character is Muslim, I can't say no to this book. Plus, it's available as a read now on Netgalley, so go grab it before the archived day!

The storyline was quite interesting. It follows A seventeen years-old Samaya, as a grade 12 student. The last year of high school is the year, everyone tries to seek scholarships to apply for colleafterwardrds.  As a student at the highest rank in her school, putting her as the spotlight for the teenagers at school.  The consequence is everything that Samaya has done always obtains either gossip or compliment from those around her. Mainly, the rumor about the breakup of her relationship with her boyfriend, Devin, who is also a top student and is in the second level after Samaya.

Will Samaya be able to deal with all the jabber and gossip against her?  Whatever decision she makes will have an impact on the game project she is working on and as a team leader who needs this leadership experience to gain the scholarship after graduating from high school.

So many things happened that I can't get bored of it, the way Samaya cares so much about the gossip was incredibly annoying, it just got her exhausted even more. However, I believe that this is how the story goes on and that's what makes it unique. I hate Aimee on halfway through this book, and I sort of adore Cass. The only thing that bothered me about Cass was the fact that Cass is nonbinary, at first it's clear that she's a girl and after half of a book, the thing changed to that way. Even though I admire that Cass is still her best friend, I like the way she is always there for Samaya and how she is able to confront her. Much better than Aimee.
I adore Daniel, don't ask me what. Daniel is perfect for Samaya and I'm so glad they both made it!
I like that I learned a lot about baking stuff and some fun facts about cookies. It did get me hungry during reading😭

Special thanks to Farah Heron, the publisher and netgalley team for this free copy.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I loved this book! Great pacing and great characters. Heron writes the uncertainties, triumphs and tribulations of Samaya's life with such a true and believable tone that the character really jumps off the page. A feel-good story with tons of emotions and pitch-perfect descriptions of contemporary high school. I finished this and immediately searched for the author's backlist titles! Highly recommend.

I was happy to see that the author gave one of the characters from her awesome book, Tahira in Bloom, a story of her own. High School is so hard on its own but to have your relationships posted on social media without your permission makes that time even harder. For Samaya, even being one of the best academically doesn't shield her from gossip and when her relationship with Devin ends, her relationship winds up on social media for all to follow. Samaya decides that two can play that game and decides to "win" at the breakup game by developing a fake relationship with someone who she thinks is the guy she plays online video games with. What could go wrong? More than you can imagine in this fun story about dealing with a breakup and, instead of winning, you may end up finding something more important along the way. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book but it sounded a bit fun and entertaining, and it was. A charming, cute, readable book but not one I would put on my favourites list.

I think it certainly would appeal to the younger generation more so than myself but I always like to read different genres and and styles. It is diverse and up with todays world which is good.

A fun book to read but not for me I'm afraid!

I am disappointed.

Too much was going on. The author wanted to communicate way too many things and in the end everything felt very forced, not polished and sometimes distasteful.

Reading this felt like torture. At the end I was able to read 2-3 pages and I had to take a break otherwise I would smash my phone. It was so frustrating!

Heron's books are so cute and compulsively readable. I love them all and they are super easy to hand sell.