Summary: A young adult college fake dating romance that will make you wonder how long they can keep the biggest secret of all.
Title: Dating My Wacky Girlfriend: A YA rom-com about a secret identity and fake dating (Wacky Duology Book 1)
Author: Stephanie Harina
Page Count: 410
MY RATINGS:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cover Image Source: Stephanie Harina
One year. One role. And a love she can’t control.
Alynna Paredes is used to being invisible. She's the poor girl with big dreams and zero options. But everything changes when her wealthy half-sister, Janina, offers her a once-in-a-lifetime deal:
Take her place at an elite college for one year.
New name. New life. Full ride.
The rules? Keep the secret. Don’t mess it up. Absolutely no falling in love.
Too bad no one warned her about Sky Anderson. He’s charming, arrogant, and exactly the kind of heartbreak she can’t afford. When they strike a fake dating deal to get his ex off his back, Alynna’s simple plan spirals into a web of secrets, lies… and something dangerously real.
Now she’s living a life that was never meant to be hers, with feelings that are getting harder to fake… and even harder to hide.
As someone who heavily reads monster romance, psychological thriller, horror and heartbreaking family contemporary memoirs, this story gives my brain a light chance to relearn what "not going to require therapy entertainment" means. My heart rests for a little bit because I haven't cried in the last ten minutes. Yay!
I think I don't need to give the blurb about what this story is all about because the author already provided it in the description.
This story hits the sweet spot for readers who:
❤️ Doesn't stress over how each character develops their growth as the story goes on. The more you read scenes between Alynna and Sky, the more the "fake" part of their dating contract starts to look suspiciously like the "real" part.
❤️ Ready to excuse a few flaws in terms of pacing, repetition, or structure as long as the vibes are genuinely good.
❤️ Love to read romance comedy that gives comfort and zero headaches (you know... offering some sort of a little escape without trying to remember complex world-building or mystery clues).
❤️ Have a great taste in fast-paced online novels (Wattpad vibes) that run with beloved tropes and make no apologies for being purely entertaining.
❌ The only thing I may not let slide for giving it a solid 5 stars is about how the characters "magically" overcome their issues without any realistic emotional heavy lifting. I wish my problems were solved that quickly. 😅
I thought the moment Alynna and Janina met was a little rushed. They're half-sisters who've never met before, so I expected it to be a bigger deal.
☹️ If I were Janina, no matter how desperate I was to reach my dream, I'd still need some serious time to deal with all that anger and upset about my mom cheating on my dad. And no matter how close the enrollment deadline is, I would never go to my half-sister's place to switch and make an agreement that quickly.
☹️ If I were Alynna, it would also take some time for me to accept the offer of a life-swap contract brought by my "stranger" half-sister. Look! Even a kind-hearted girl who grew up in the province needs boundaries! ☹️ Alynna should at least get a solid month to freak out before signing off on switching lives for an elite university spot that will absolutely ruin her peace.
While this story won't be everyone's cup of tea, I would recommend it to TWO specific types of readers:
✅ If you're in your 30s like me and want to feel young (like going back to a time when Wattpad dominated our screen time)...this is good for you.
✅ If you want to take a timeout from reading heavy genres and looking for something trauma-free, this book is also for you.
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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Stephanie Harina for giving me the opportunity to read this early.