Book Review: The Upside of Falling

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Romance

I haven't read many books about fake dating, but this one definitely does it right. So cute, so real, so wholesome, so sweet!

Continue reading for more details.

Synopsis:

A fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love. Perfect for Jenny Han fans.

It’s been years since seventeen-year-old Becca Hart believed in true love. But when her former best friend teases her for not having had a boyfriend, Becca impulsively pretends she’s been secretly seeing someone.

Brett Wells has it all. As captain of the football team and one of the most popular guys in his school, he should have no problem finding someone to date, but he’s always been more focused on his future than who to bring to prom.

When he overhears Becca’s lie, Brett decides to step in and be the mystery guy. It’s the perfect solution: he gets people off his back for not having a meaningful relationship and she can keep up the ruse that she’s got a boyfriend.

Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy, though, especially when you barely know the other person. But with Becca still picking up the pieces from when her world was blown apart years ago and Brett just barely holding his together now, they begin to realize they have more in common than they ever could have imagined.

When the line between what is pretend and what is real begins to blur, they're forced to answer the question: Is this fake romance the realest thing in either of their lives?

Review:

Becca is a true bookworm. She finds joy in books, she feels safe with books, and she always has a book on hand. Obviously, I couldn't help but love Becca for that. Though, she was also going through tough times, grief even in a sense. Her parents divorce changed her and made her feel much differently about love and romance. She didn't believe in it any longer but how her heart and mind changes throughout the book was so lovely to read about. She faced road bumps along her journey, but that just made her feel more real and able to relate to. Though I didn’t love her actions in the end in relation to her dad, I feel like she could definitely have handled that in a better way.

“People always talk about falling in love but no one ever talks about falling out of it.”

Brett’s such a softie on the inside, he was so sweet! The way he treated and hung out with Becca was so kind and genuine. Wanting so badly to get his dad’s approval but realizing his dad wasn't how he imagined or thought was such a big shock for Brett and I could see readers could really relate to him, and at least empathize with him. Seeing his character develop and grow was amazing, especially because both Brett and Becca were going through problems and they still were able to overcome these issues and be together in the end.

“Because you go somewhere else when you read. I want to go there with you”

These two’s dynamic was so cute. First of all, the jock and quiet girl trope was so much fun to read because of the two different vibes they appeared to have. Watching their two different worlds crash together and see them grow comfortable and fond of each other was so cute! They definitely seemed like a couple that would stay together and would have a stable relationship.

He pulled me a little closer, held me a little tighter. And this time, we escaped together.”

The plot was fun and entertaining, but kind of basic and the high school setting with high school events definitely gave a lighthearted vibe and kept things moving, but people who couldn’t care any less about high school events would find this boring. The relationship dynamics between Becca, Brett and their moms were so sweet and I loved how they both cared about them so genuinely.

This is definitely a more young-young adult book but a nice read if you just want something youthful and fluffy. Definitely feels like an easy, comfort read.

Overall,

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