A cute and completely charming YA debut, full of fun and joy and with a cast of delightful characters.

Absolutely loved Weatherspoon’s foray into young adult; she knocked this out of the park! I loved the banter between Bethany and Jacob, and the fake dating situation makes so much sense given how we’re introduced to the characters. I’ve always loved Weatherspoon’s adult romance, and now I definitely want more young adult romance from her.

I loved this! what a cute little YA romance. Loved it. Rebekah is talented. I highly recommend. I lovedit

An enjoyable story featuring the fake dating trope. This perfect weekend read is a fun coming-of-age story in which both of the main characters realise that the relationship that they want is right in front of them.

Really enjoyed this one. You’ll love it if you enjoy two cinnamon roll characters that are super cute together and if you love Star Trek. Loved both the characters passions and ambitions.

This was a cute fast read that I wish i had made the time to read before. Would definitely recommend this one

Such a cute fast read. I have been in a bit of a ready slump but I was able to finish this book in one day. I actually wish I picked it up sooner. It was perfect to help get me out of this book slump

This was a cute YA fake dating between two friends hoping to expand their dating experience. In the end, they end up developing feelings which does complicate things. This was a fun and cute read. I loved the diversity in both race and body positivity. It kept me entertained although at times it seemed a little surface level.

Her Good Side is an adorable YA contemporary romance. Bethany Greene and Jacob Yuen are each having dating troubles and decide they should try to figure them out together by fake dating. No feelings involved and they both get more experience for the real thing. Except their spending alot of time together and starting to see each other in a new light.

Bethany has been called a late bloomer by several people in her life. She is believed to be inexperienced and wants that to change so that she can finally have a boyfriend. Meanwhile Jacob has been dumped twice in two months and wants to prove that he can hold onto a relationship. I loved how the dynamic was created between Bethany and Jacob. Their banter, their growing friendship, and the way they understand each other in ways that no one ever has was written so well!

High school can be so cringeworthy and Rebekah Weatherspoon does such a good job of writing those type of moments. As Bethany and Jacob experiment with their fake relationship there are several awkward moments. There are also several sweet moments. I loved how they trusted each other during their fake dating "experiments". Neither one pressured the other and was understanding if they needed to stop. This sends such a good message to the reader, especially a younger reader.

Her Good Side not only has good messages about trust and relationships it also has fantastic representation. Bethany is black, has two moms, and tries her best to be body positive. Meanwhile, Jacob is Asian American, and is parents love tattoos. They've each had their teenage struggles and can come together to be a stronger unit. Watching their relationship evolve is honestly a beautiful thing. It will leave your heart warmed and a smile on your face.

Rebekah Weatherspoon has been becoming one of my favorite authors over the last year, however this book wasn’t for me. I really love the female main character, but the male main character & the story as a whole fell flat for me. I took a break from reading it at 30% in with the intention of coming back to it later, but I just don’t feel the urge to continue. I don’t really care how the story ends. I still look forward to reading more by this author in the future though! This one just couldn’t hold my attention.

Her Good Side is a very sweet teen romance about two very inexperienced daters who just can’t seem to get it together and find a good relationship, let alone make one stick. The girls are all suddenly taking an interest in Jacob, but there’s no one with whom he feels comfortable being himself. Bethany has an embarrassing past that she can’t outrun and the boys in her class aren’t sure if she’s open to dating or not. These two are absolute rockstars when it comes to their passions, but their love lives are lacklustre. Why not date each other? It’s a prime opportunity for them to build confidence, to try out dating in a safe environment, and to discover what it means to confide in another.

What neither one of them saw coming was the development of serious feelings. They both know that there’s a deadline on the horizon for the agreed-upon end of their relationship, but what are they to do when they independently begin to feel something more than just friendship?

This story is quirky, flirtatious, and fun. The characters are loveable, and even the secondary characters feel tangible and relatable. It’s a simple story that we’ve seen time and time again, but Weatherspoon has come at it with a refreshing twist. I think these protagonists are really accessible to a wide array of readers, in ways that so many stories are not. They are so real. There are many readers who will see themselves in Jacob or Bethany. The diversity in this book is to die for; it’s so representative of the modern world and fully encompassing of teens today.

The characters are balancing school, the pressure of the real world, their looming and uncertain futures, and the friendships and relationships that are just regular part of high school life. I could see any one of them in my own high school experience, and that was refreshing. No gimmicks, nothing over the top, and it was all the more relatable for it. I really enjoyed this read, and I hope you will too. This is a must-have as we head towards the summer season.

This was such a cute YA novel!! It has perfect descriptions of how awkward some situations are in high school and how teenagers maneuver them! The two main characters, Bethany “Bets” Greene & her fake boyfriend Jacob had perfect “should we go there?” chemistry!!

I also love that there was a lot of representation of different cultures & genders in this book! It felt as though the author took very good care about being knowledgeable about the terms being used

Cute YA Romance. The book was well written and incorporated body positivity, self esteem, and racial relations themes throughout the story line. This was both entertaining and impactful. Will be reading more by this author.

*** 3,5 Sterne ***


Dieses Buch hier ist eine süße und authentische Liebesgeschichte rund um die erste große Liebe.

Ich muss sagen, dass ich dieses Buch mehr mochte als ich dachte.
In der Regel lese ich eher weniger YA Romance aber hier hat mich das Cover einfach angesprochen. Die Farben sind sehr schön knallig aber ohne zu aufdringlich zu wirken. Cover ist also auf jedenfall schonmal sehr ansprechend.
Doch auch die Geschichte hat ihre tollen Seiten. Zunächst mal finde ich die Protagonisten hier sehr gut dargestellt und ihrem Alter entsprechend verhalten sie sich auch. Und zwar mit genau der richtigen Portion jugendlicher Naivität und das gute bekannte Verkopft sein. Und genau das spiegelt sich in der Geschichte wieder wodurch diese sehr authentisch wird.
An der ein oder anderen Stelle habe ich mich zwar gefragt, wie oft ich noch lesen muss, dass sie sich xy nicht traut aber wenn ich mal so zurückdenke war es bei mir ziemlich sicher genau so.

Die Geschichte ist also genau für diejenigen etwas, die etwas lockeres wollen, etwas, womit man sich in seine eigene Jugend zurückversetzen kann und was lockerleicht zu lesen ist.

Das englisch ist hier sowohl für Anfänger als auch für Fortgeschrittene gut lesbar also braucht man keine Hemmungen zu haben wegen der Sprache.

This book was absolutely adorable, and I am mad at myself for taking this long to read it. I loved the message of self-confidence, body-positivity, and that it's okay to not rush into sexual relations with someone you're dating. Both of the MC's were endearing, and I was rooting for them both from the very beginning. As a middle school teacher (of 8th graders), I could see this situation playing out with some of my students, which also made my heart melt - not that I would ever tell them that.

Seriously, a feel-good read that is quick, but will leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm so here for the diversity of this book in both race/culture and body size. I love a fake dating trope and how it always seems to grow into more. It felt very natural with Bethany and Jacob and the dual point of view. It's really a joyful and supportive relationship especially for ya romance. I liked that they had good conversations to see what they might be comfortable with and do appreciate that for young readers eyes and taking in that information.

This was a very cute YA romance with a diverse cast of characters. It was very refreshing to see teens acting like teens. I wasn't completely sold on the set up for the fake dating in this one but Bethany and Jacob's friendship helped sell it for me.

I will say that outside of the diversity, this book didn't offer much new and different to the YA romance genre. I do think it will be great for teens especially those looking to see themselves represented though.

I have loved Weatherspoon since her first book Treasure but this one was amazing. Felt totally different and almost grown up. I loved it. Highly rec.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I loved it!

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoy it in YA! It’s so fun.
This was an adorable story from start to finish.
I loved every character! The MCs and all the side characters were all fantastic.

I loved the representation and the body positivity throughout. There’s just so many good things happening in this story.

Overall I enjoyed the story, I look forward to more by this author.

I love Weatherspoon's writing and was so happy to se her give YA a try. This was so good and really felt like she knew who she was writing about and for!! I have recommended this to my students countless times and am looking forward to her next novel!