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The Way to Game the Walk of Shame
Taylor Simmons is screwed.
Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.
Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.
Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
306 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2016
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March 26, 2017
Update: Just to add some parental guidance, this is one of the few YA reads marketed as YA that are indeed clean, but I'll add a warning for language. Nothing particularly innaproppiate, no f- bombs.
Nothing they wouldn't hear on TV.
4.5 stars rounded because FINALLY! A young adult is REALLY a young adult book, and not a NEW ADULT book pretending to lure underage teens to its dirty sex scenes (cough ACOMAF cough)
This book is REAL, age appropiate young adult.
Seriously. I can't be the only one noticing that lately you find almost the same amount of nudity, drama, sex, and heavy topics such as drugs, rape, cheating, bullying, violence, and "inappropiate" behaviour in "YA romance" books than you'd find in edgy New adult, adult fiction, even erotica. (cough Paper Princess, cough)
Well ladies and gentleman THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME (promising yet tonguetwister-ish title) is a book that isn't trying to pretend to be what isn't. You know from reading the blurb that you'll encounter the typical high school drama, the bad boy, the nerdy girl, the fake relationship, the mean characters and for once CUTE YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE LIGHT ON DRAMA AND A FULL OF CUTE, AGE APPROPIATE FUN. Anyone looking for heavy drama, originality or edginess won't find it here. This is a book that might appeal to readers in search of a romance with no complications, no cheating, plenty of fun banter, cuteness and in short, ENTERTAINMENT.
As I said, this book isn't prentending and isn't pretentious. It's not trying to be original, what book is? and it's not trying to be intelectual. The premise is very basic and very compelling. Taylor, a nerdy girl, is bullied at her school for being, well, nerdy! Oh! so you're a nerd? virgin? bookworm? Let's make fun of you.
Then our nerdy heroine finds herself in the bed of the school playboy. Isn't that cool? And neither remember a lot of that "wild" night.
It turns our that our virginal nerd girl finds herself again the victim of bullying. This time one of the worst forms of bullying: slutshaming. OH how dare you sleep with a manwhore? Someone you aren't dating? He can sleep with a lot of girls and that's fine, but YOU are a woman and you shouldn' t ake control of your sexual life, you shouldn't make bad decisions, you should stay in your nerdy role and never stray from it. To get rid of the slutshaming she asks Evan (book boyfriend, I want him to be real) to date her in real life and he not only accepts! he even drafts a contract! Who the hell has a contract for a relationship?
Perhaps ....
or
This fake relationship is supposed to save heroine's reputation. Because slutshaming works with double standards and women can never win. If you are a virgin you're a prude, a judgmental bitch, an undersirable nerd. If you sleep with someone after a moment of poor judgement you are a slut. All this sounds very heavy right? It's what's happening, in this school and all around us, but that's not what the book is about. The author could have made this book an anti-slutshaming and pro-feminist book, but instead she focused in the story, in the fun, in the banter, in the entertaining factor. This book is not preachy at all, it's not dramatic. It's just fun for the sake of fun!
The book being a Young adult book, doens't have a lot of steaminess, but it compensates that with cuteness and smiles. YOu have to suspend disbelief a little because the attitude of the teachers in this book is almost supporting of bullying in a student, but other than that I think this book is a great read. It might be silly at times, this is a book that you shouldn't think too much or you might start to find things that will ruin your reading experiences. This is a mindless reading but that's what makes it a great summer read.
I want to read more of the author.
Safety issues:H unfortunately kind of has eyes for other girls after starting to date the heroine, but everything was so cute that didn't bother me.
Nothing they wouldn't hear on TV.
4.5 stars rounded because FINALLY! A young adult is REALLY a young adult book, and not a NEW ADULT book pretending to lure underage teens to its dirty sex scenes (cough ACOMAF cough)
This book is REAL, age appropiate young adult.
Seriously. I can't be the only one noticing that lately you find almost the same amount of nudity, drama, sex, and heavy topics such as drugs, rape, cheating, bullying, violence, and "inappropiate" behaviour in "YA romance" books than you'd find in edgy New adult, adult fiction, even erotica. (cough Paper Princess, cough)
Well ladies and gentleman THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME (promising yet tonguetwister-ish title) is a book that isn't trying to pretend to be what isn't. You know from reading the blurb that you'll encounter the typical high school drama, the bad boy, the nerdy girl, the fake relationship, the mean characters and for once CUTE YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE LIGHT ON DRAMA AND A FULL OF CUTE, AGE APPROPIATE FUN. Anyone looking for heavy drama, originality or edginess won't find it here. This is a book that might appeal to readers in search of a romance with no complications, no cheating, plenty of fun banter, cuteness and in short, ENTERTAINMENT.
As I said, this book isn't prentending and isn't pretentious. It's not trying to be original, what book is? and it's not trying to be intelectual. The premise is very basic and very compelling. Taylor, a nerdy girl, is bullied at her school for being, well, nerdy! Oh! so you're a nerd? virgin? bookworm? Let's make fun of you.
Then our nerdy heroine finds herself in the bed of the school playboy. Isn't that cool? And neither remember a lot of that "wild" night.
It turns our that our virginal nerd girl finds herself again the victim of bullying. This time one of the worst forms of bullying: slutshaming. OH how dare you sleep with a manwhore? Someone you aren't dating? He can sleep with a lot of girls and that's fine, but YOU are a woman and you shouldn' t ake control of your sexual life, you shouldn't make bad decisions, you should stay in your nerdy role and never stray from it. To get rid of the slutshaming she asks Evan (book boyfriend, I want him to be real) to date her in real life and he not only accepts! he even drafts a contract! Who the hell has a contract for a relationship?
Perhaps ....
or
This fake relationship is supposed to save heroine's reputation. Because slutshaming works with double standards and women can never win. If you are a virgin you're a prude, a judgmental bitch, an undersirable nerd. If you sleep with someone after a moment of poor judgement you are a slut. All this sounds very heavy right? It's what's happening, in this school and all around us, but that's not what the book is about. The author could have made this book an anti-slutshaming and pro-feminist book, but instead she focused in the story, in the fun, in the banter, in the entertaining factor. This book is not preachy at all, it's not dramatic. It's just fun for the sake of fun!
The book being a Young adult book, doens't have a lot of steaminess, but it compensates that with cuteness and smiles. YOu have to suspend disbelief a little because the attitude of the teachers in this book is almost supporting of bullying in a student, but other than that I think this book is a great read. It might be silly at times, this is a book that you shouldn't think too much or you might start to find things that will ruin your reading experiences. This is a mindless reading but that's what makes it a great summer read.
I want to read more of the author.
Safety issues:H unfortunately kind of has eyes for other girls after starting to date the heroine, but everything was so cute that didn't bother me.
June 3, 2016
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen was a book I fell in love with as soon as I read the title. Suddenly I was pulling up everywhere to try and get a review copy of this one. Which was why I was so happy to snag a place on this tour here! I was anticipating it like crazy.
I recently read another fake dating kind of story which was No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista. I've quickly gone from not having read any of these kind to two! This one had quite a different reason for the couple pretending to get together. I really liked the whole situation of them waking up in bed together, neither of them knowing what happened the night before. Then on top of that, everyone saw them leave together. Taylor hates the gossip trailing after her, and seeing as she is used to being the school nerd who no one dared to even talk about in her presence, she wants to have her status back again. How to do that? Start dating Evan. I loved that premise!
This book quickly became one I wanted to read all day long. The story narration switched between Evan and Taylor so that we got to see things from both of their eyes. Both of their voices were unique and I really liked that they didn't blend into each other at all. I think I liked Taylor's the most - she had so much attitude and even though she appeared confident to most people on the outside, she had her own inner panic moments. She was the kind of girl who really wanted her dreams to come true and chased after her ambitions. But sometimes she also doubted that they would really happen. Taylor was just one of those go-getter girls I could really appreciate.
Evan was another person who was very confident. Even though he is a player, we quickly get to know him as so much more. The best thing about him is that he never denies the whole player side of himself - he knows that's who he is and the author makes no excuses for him. I would have thought this would have made me dislike him because there was no previous reason for him being that way, but it's more so that he's a guy, y'know? And he accepts that, and with his point of view we learn about there being more to him. As soon as Taylor is introduced into his life, things start to change about his life too.
This book also spotlighted family conflict. Evan and Taylor both have divorced parents. Although in Taylor's case she loves her stepdad and thinks he is much better for her mother than her biological father was. Evan's biological father spent a lot of time in jail and he really dislikes his stepdad. Together this contradicting portrayals of families caused a lot of turmoil in emotions in this novel. It was never quite the forefront of the novel but it did play its part in the grand scheme of things and I believe it was handled well.
Primarily, this book is a romance. As it was a clean romance, I ended up very satisfied on this front. It was sweet. It had some miscommunication and some trials and tribulations that the couple had to solve their way out of together, and it also had plenty of banter which made me one happy reader. Banter is the kind of thing I can never get enough of in a novel.
The ending was super sweet and I really appreciated the bonus chapters at the end. I won't say what they were to do with because the pleasant surprise of what they were made them the best. It was a good way to tie up the novel.
I did appreciate the friends group that Taylor and Evan both had. Aaron, Carly and Brian all made a gang of unique but good-hearted friends that supported them both with whatever they were trying to do. I do wish there had been a bit more time to deepen our understanding of the secondary characters but that never really happened. And at times, I wished that there were more issues for the couple to overcome than the way their relationship began or miscommunication. At times it felt a little too... easy?
In general though, this was a brilliant romance contemporary that I raced through! It's brimming with voice, character and a romance you'll want to be a part of. Can't wait to see what this author produces next!
Gif Summary:
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
I recently read another fake dating kind of story which was No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista. I've quickly gone from not having read any of these kind to two! This one had quite a different reason for the couple pretending to get together. I really liked the whole situation of them waking up in bed together, neither of them knowing what happened the night before. Then on top of that, everyone saw them leave together. Taylor hates the gossip trailing after her, and seeing as she is used to being the school nerd who no one dared to even talk about in her presence, she wants to have her status back again. How to do that? Start dating Evan. I loved that premise!
This book quickly became one I wanted to read all day long. The story narration switched between Evan and Taylor so that we got to see things from both of their eyes. Both of their voices were unique and I really liked that they didn't blend into each other at all. I think I liked Taylor's the most - she had so much attitude and even though she appeared confident to most people on the outside, she had her own inner panic moments. She was the kind of girl who really wanted her dreams to come true and chased after her ambitions. But sometimes she also doubted that they would really happen. Taylor was just one of those go-getter girls I could really appreciate.
Evan was another person who was very confident. Even though he is a player, we quickly get to know him as so much more. The best thing about him is that he never denies the whole player side of himself - he knows that's who he is and the author makes no excuses for him. I would have thought this would have made me dislike him because there was no previous reason for him being that way, but it's more so that he's a guy, y'know? And he accepts that, and with his point of view we learn about there being more to him. As soon as Taylor is introduced into his life, things start to change about his life too.
This book also spotlighted family conflict. Evan and Taylor both have divorced parents. Although in Taylor's case she loves her stepdad and thinks he is much better for her mother than her biological father was. Evan's biological father spent a lot of time in jail and he really dislikes his stepdad. Together this contradicting portrayals of families caused a lot of turmoil in emotions in this novel. It was never quite the forefront of the novel but it did play its part in the grand scheme of things and I believe it was handled well.
Primarily, this book is a romance. As it was a clean romance, I ended up very satisfied on this front. It was sweet. It had some miscommunication and some trials and tribulations that the couple had to solve their way out of together, and it also had plenty of banter which made me one happy reader. Banter is the kind of thing I can never get enough of in a novel.
The ending was super sweet and I really appreciated the bonus chapters at the end. I won't say what they were to do with because the pleasant surprise of what they were made them the best. It was a good way to tie up the novel.
I did appreciate the friends group that Taylor and Evan both had. Aaron, Carly and Brian all made a gang of unique but good-hearted friends that supported them both with whatever they were trying to do. I do wish there had been a bit more time to deepen our understanding of the secondary characters but that never really happened. And at times, I wished that there were more issues for the couple to overcome than the way their relationship began or miscommunication. At times it felt a little too... easy?
In general though, this was a brilliant romance contemporary that I raced through! It's brimming with voice, character and a romance you'll want to be a part of. Can't wait to see what this author produces next!
Gif Summary:
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
July 30, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
2.5 Stars
You’re all familiar with the “Walk of Shame” right . . . . .
Oh wait, wrong genre. This book was about the other kind . . . .
Meet Taylor. She’s gone through high school pretty much like this . . . .
When she gets waitlisted to Columbia rather than immediately accepted, she doesn’t take it well and ends up not only . . . .
But also??????
Or at least that’s what the entire school thinks when word gets out that Taylor woke up next to none other than super player Evan . . . .
Now Taylor just wants everyone to shut up about her – or even go back to thinking she was the “Ice Queen” like before her not-really-a-one-night-stand-one-night-stand. The way she thinks that can happen? Enter into a fake relationship with Evan until they are yesterday’s news.
I’m telling you if this were a Netflix movie I would watch the crap out of it. Actually the way I ended up reading this was because I got put on an eternal waitlist for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before once I discovered that was a Netflix movie and I wanted instant gratification in the form of YA romance so I checked this one out instead. Obviously this wasn’t a life-changer and the writing wasn’t real great either. Buuuuuuuut, I enjoy the fake relationship trope enough that I found it to be a cute little couple hour time waster and . . . .
I now declare Young Adult Week on Goodreads officially kicked off!
2.5 Stars
You’re all familiar with the “Walk of Shame” right . . . . .
Oh wait, wrong genre. This book was about the other kind . . . .
Meet Taylor. She’s gone through high school pretty much like this . . . .
When she gets waitlisted to Columbia rather than immediately accepted, she doesn’t take it well and ends up not only . . . .
But also??????
Or at least that’s what the entire school thinks when word gets out that Taylor woke up next to none other than super player Evan . . . .
Now Taylor just wants everyone to shut up about her – or even go back to thinking she was the “Ice Queen” like before her not-really-a-one-night-stand-one-night-stand. The way she thinks that can happen? Enter into a fake relationship with Evan until they are yesterday’s news.
I’m telling you if this were a Netflix movie I would watch the crap out of it. Actually the way I ended up reading this was because I got put on an eternal waitlist for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before once I discovered that was a Netflix movie and I wanted instant gratification in the form of YA romance so I checked this one out instead. Obviously this wasn’t a life-changer and the writing wasn’t real great either. Buuuuuuuut, I enjoy the fake relationship trope enough that I found it to be a cute little couple hour time waster and . . . .
I now declare Young Adult Week on Goodreads officially kicked off!
October 19, 2016
Such an enjoyable book! Proud for this to be my 200th book of the year, honestly. I will be writing a full review for this, hopefully, it may, however, be sans gifs since i won't be updating as frequently for the next week and a bit due to lack of wifi implemented by moving. Thank God for books.
July 13, 2022
At one glance, this contemporary romance had so much potential!! Because I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope!! But ultimately it reads like it was written in 2016 – girls hating on girls, love triangle drama and slutshaming. It checks all the boxes: 1) handsome playboy 2) ice princess 3) they get caught in a compromising situation 4) they decide to start fake dating to save the girl’s reputation. Well, the whole problem of her reputation being ruined was solved in less than 50 pages and afterward it became clear that Nguyen now had free rein to develop their actual relationship, but she failed miserably. Throughout the story I was struggling to find the "wow" factor. Often the story seemed like it was just going through the motions and there wasn't any real chemistry between the characters.
EVAN: Not my type of guy. Half the book when he was fake dating Taylor he was just concerned about not being able to bone other chicks. His sexual jokes came off creepy instead of funny (even though I know Nguyen wrote them in for "banter" they didn't work.) and he was probably the most cardboard fake boyfriend ever. At one point he wonders if Taylor's rage is because of her "time of the month". Seriously.
TAYLOR: No comments. She was a marginally better character than Evan if only because I related to her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. My favorite part in the book was when someone asks her what happens if she doesn't become a lawyer and she says simply "I will be one".
THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME has such an interesting title and premise. It could have subverted multiple tropes and made itself unique, but instead we're given cookie cutter characters with no chemistry, YA tropes that underscore toxic masculinity and an absolutely predictable storyline. Considering I liked another book by this author, I'm pretty disappointed.
EVAN: Not my type of guy. Half the book when he was fake dating Taylor he was just concerned about not being able to bone other chicks. His sexual jokes came off creepy instead of funny (even though I know Nguyen wrote them in for "banter" they didn't work.) and he was probably the most cardboard fake boyfriend ever. At one point he wonders if Taylor's rage is because of her "time of the month". Seriously.
TAYLOR: No comments. She was a marginally better character than Evan if only because I related to her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. My favorite part in the book was when someone asks her what happens if she doesn't become a lawyer and she says simply "I will be one".
THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME has such an interesting title and premise. It could have subverted multiple tropes and made itself unique, but instead we're given cookie cutter characters with no chemistry, YA tropes that underscore toxic masculinity and an absolutely predictable storyline. Considering I liked another book by this author, I'm pretty disappointed.
January 6, 2017
5 Absolutely Awesome Stars!!!
What's it about? After a night together that neither can remember, a straight-A student and the school's hottest player strike a deal in order to protect the girl's reputation and pretend to be a couple. But the lines between pretense and reality soon begin to blur...
The best bits: I just love fake-boyfriend stories, especially when they are done well and both characters develop slowly and realistically. This is pure light hearted fun and never delves too far into the angsty fillers. Loved it.
The worst bits: The cover! The ONLY reason it took me so long to pick this book up was because the cover is thoroughly un-inviting. The legs are bad, the graphics are bad, it's not at all the way the heroine is portrayed, and theres not even a hint of the humour and great characters inside this fabulous book. Bad, bad, BAD cover!!! Dont let it put you off!
Recommended for: fans of young adult romances and fake-boyfriend tropes. This is one of the best out there!!!
What's it about? After a night together that neither can remember, a straight-A student and the school's hottest player strike a deal in order to protect the girl's reputation and pretend to be a couple. But the lines between pretense and reality soon begin to blur...
The best bits: I just love fake-boyfriend stories, especially when they are done well and both characters develop slowly and realistically. This is pure light hearted fun and never delves too far into the angsty fillers. Loved it.
The worst bits: The cover! The ONLY reason it took me so long to pick this book up was because the cover is thoroughly un-inviting. The legs are bad, the graphics are bad, it's not at all the way the heroine is portrayed, and theres not even a hint of the humour and great characters inside this fabulous book. Bad, bad, BAD cover!!! Dont let it put you off!
Recommended for: fans of young adult romances and fake-boyfriend tropes. This is one of the best out there!!!
August 27, 2016
Same Review Also posted In My Blog: Dreamy Addictions
This book was one delicious sweet cupcake that will definitely melt and warm your heart. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew it was going to be a fun read. The story was so cute and sweet and even though it was a overused fake relationship trope, I really enjoyed this book. Taylor and Evan are so adorable in this and I loved how their fake relationship slowly turned into something real. I liked every aspect of this book and might re-read it in the future. It's my first book from Jenn P. Nguyen and I'll definitely look forward to more books from her.
The Story starts with Taylor wakes up to find herself beside the school's bad boy surfer Evan McKincley. Taylor doesn't remember anything about what happened in last night's party after getting drunk and how'd she end up in Evan's bed. Next day rumors starts spreading in the entire school that she has slept with the school's bad boy and was tagged as a slut. Taylor has a reputation of being a Ice Queen, straight A Student, running for Valedictorian and aspiring to be a lawyer. When the rumor goes out of control affecting her academic life, she makes a deal with Evan to be her fake boyfriend until everything cools down. Evan and Taylor are perfect opposites of each other but opposites always attract and although it was a fake relationship they can't help getting attracted to each other and starts to enjoy each other's company.
Taylor is labelled as a Ice queen but if you get to know her, she's really a nice girl who is aspiring to become a lawyer in the future and doesn't want any distractions. She is a relatable character and I really liked her in this book. Evan is also a great character and I'm surprised to find that he isn't completely bad boyish as I thought he would be but still I love him. I'm glad he wasn't a typical bad boy with tattoo's on his arms, who wears black, hangs out with wrong crowd and has too much baggage to handle. Instead Evan is confident and fun character but it doesn't mean he doesn't not have any issues. Both Taylor and Evan have their own issues to deal and they find relief in each other's arms. I loved the slow burn relationship between Taylor and Evan. The romance is the best aspect of this book, It was totally swoon worthy with late night star gazing, sweet kisses and touching pinkies. There isn't any triangle but there is another love interest Brian who's used to be Taylor's crush. The secondary characters are also nice especially Oreos, Taylor's cute dog.
The plot is predictable but it's well executed and trust me you'll definitely love reading this book. It's one of those books that'll lift up your mood. It's a perfect YA read that doesn't have sex or hot steamy romance but it's highly entertaining read if you're into sweet, cute and fluffy contemporary read. The pacing is perfect and I had a smile on my face through out most of this book. I liked the writing! It's simple and fun and just the way I like it. The book finally concluded with a perfect ending with lots of smiles and giggles.
Overall, It was fun and entertaining! Honestly, I wanted to give this a 4 stars because it does have some minor flaws but still I can't help giving it a 5 stars. It's a great YA read with perfect amount of romance, fun and drama.
This book was one delicious sweet cupcake that will definitely melt and warm your heart. When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew it was going to be a fun read. The story was so cute and sweet and even though it was a overused fake relationship trope, I really enjoyed this book. Taylor and Evan are so adorable in this and I loved how their fake relationship slowly turned into something real. I liked every aspect of this book and might re-read it in the future. It's my first book from Jenn P. Nguyen and I'll definitely look forward to more books from her.
The Story starts with Taylor wakes up to find herself beside the school's bad boy surfer Evan McKincley. Taylor doesn't remember anything about what happened in last night's party after getting drunk and how'd she end up in Evan's bed. Next day rumors starts spreading in the entire school that she has slept with the school's bad boy and was tagged as a slut. Taylor has a reputation of being a Ice Queen, straight A Student, running for Valedictorian and aspiring to be a lawyer. When the rumor goes out of control affecting her academic life, she makes a deal with Evan to be her fake boyfriend until everything cools down. Evan and Taylor are perfect opposites of each other but opposites always attract and although it was a fake relationship they can't help getting attracted to each other and starts to enjoy each other's company.
Taylor is labelled as a Ice queen but if you get to know her, she's really a nice girl who is aspiring to become a lawyer in the future and doesn't want any distractions. She is a relatable character and I really liked her in this book. Evan is also a great character and I'm surprised to find that he isn't completely bad boyish as I thought he would be but still I love him. I'm glad he wasn't a typical bad boy with tattoo's on his arms, who wears black, hangs out with wrong crowd and has too much baggage to handle. Instead Evan is confident and fun character but it doesn't mean he doesn't not have any issues. Both Taylor and Evan have their own issues to deal and they find relief in each other's arms. I loved the slow burn relationship between Taylor and Evan. The romance is the best aspect of this book, It was totally swoon worthy with late night star gazing, sweet kisses and touching pinkies. There isn't any triangle but there is another love interest Brian who's used to be Taylor's crush. The secondary characters are also nice especially Oreos, Taylor's cute dog.
The plot is predictable but it's well executed and trust me you'll definitely love reading this book. It's one of those books that'll lift up your mood. It's a perfect YA read that doesn't have sex or hot steamy romance but it's highly entertaining read if you're into sweet, cute and fluffy contemporary read. The pacing is perfect and I had a smile on my face through out most of this book. I liked the writing! It's simple and fun and just the way I like it. The book finally concluded with a perfect ending with lots of smiles and giggles.
Overall, It was fun and entertaining! Honestly, I wanted to give this a 4 stars because it does have some minor flaws but still I can't help giving it a 5 stars. It's a great YA read with perfect amount of romance, fun and drama.
Read
October 28, 2015Five things I greatly enjoyed about this book:
1) It's sweet, really sweet. Not all YA romance needs a dark, brooding bad boy, and Nguyen did a great job illustrating that.
2) At certain points when I thought the plot might be going down a predictable path...it didn't.
3) Nguyen included enough memorable details (blue cotton candy wishes, the coin necklace, little sister make-up application) to give this story its own personality, one I'll remember.
4) The more I got to know the main characters, the more I truly liked them and found myself rooting for them as individuals as well as a couple.
5) While there were YA character standbys (the uber-confident bestie, the sexy I-want-your-man mean girl, the guy who SHOULD'VE been right), Nguyen did a fantastic job rounding out their characters so they didn't end up feeling one-dimensional.
Kudos to Jenn Nguyen on her debut novel - I believe she nailed what she was going for with this one! It's a happy, fun read with plenty of sassy banter, which I adore. Sure, sometimes the player-with-the-heart-of-gold can seem a bit too good to be true...but isn't that one of the reasons why we have YA romance anyway??? :) Give it a read - it'll warm your heart and leave a smile on your face. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy from Swoon Reads and I wholeheartedly endorse this book.
1) It's sweet, really sweet. Not all YA romance needs a dark, brooding bad boy, and Nguyen did a great job illustrating that.
2) At certain points when I thought the plot might be going down a predictable path...it didn't.
3) Nguyen included enough memorable details (blue cotton candy wishes, the coin necklace, little sister make-up application) to give this story its own personality, one I'll remember.
4) The more I got to know the main characters, the more I truly liked them and found myself rooting for them as individuals as well as a couple.
5) While there were YA character standbys (the uber-confident bestie, the sexy I-want-your-man mean girl, the guy who SHOULD'VE been right), Nguyen did a fantastic job rounding out their characters so they didn't end up feeling one-dimensional.
Kudos to Jenn Nguyen on her debut novel - I believe she nailed what she was going for with this one! It's a happy, fun read with plenty of sassy banter, which I adore. Sure, sometimes the player-with-the-heart-of-gold can seem a bit too good to be true...but isn't that one of the reasons why we have YA romance anyway??? :) Give it a read - it'll warm your heart and leave a smile on your face. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy from Swoon Reads and I wholeheartedly endorse this book.
June 2, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review. This does not affect my rating or opinion.
At some point while reading this book (in one sitting), I asked Jamie if I was allowed to write a love letter to Evan as my review. She said yes, but I’ll tone it down and simply start with Evan.
Evan was just the most delicious young man ever. Yes, he was a player, but that didn’t mean he had to be a jerk. He was gorgeous and actually really, really nice. And funny and thoughtful and, yes, a little broken. The book wouldn’t be as great if the characters weren’t a little flawed and broken. He was very much embedded in my heart as soon as he woke up! (By the way, you can see just how gorgeous he is in Books Are My Fandom’s guest post… ;) )
OH, AND HE PLAYED THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND. But I’ll let you discover those heartwarming, wriggle-happily-in-your-seat moments yourself.
Taylor was so relatable I actually set the book down for a couple minutes here and there. She had an obsession with perfection so she could be just like her step-dad, who she considered her real father. She preferred biology to physics (same) and zoned in on all the gross things about dirt when it got on her face (same). She confessed to secretly being a terrible person and having dirty thoughts (same). Oh wait, that last one was me in high school; I’m pretty open with my dirt now. She also flashed from being serious, to insecure, to fiery a lot, which is something I struggle to control in myself.
Also, both of them had daddy issues. YES. HELLO. RELATABLE. I have daddy issues as well, in case you missed that. I’m pretty open about that, too.
Reading the blurb, you can tell it’s going to be a fake relationship storyline, so there shouldn’t be any surprises in the overall story. That being said, I loved that Taylor wrote a contract! AND IT WAS INCLUDED AT THE END. Love. It. That, coupled with Evan actually being a all-round Kind Human Being, gave this take on the fake relationship trope a fresh twist.
A few things kept it from being a 5-star read for me.
1. I wish Taylor didn’t have to be a virginal saint.
2. Leading on from that, I actually felt a little bit deflated at the end because I didn’t feel there was enough hot stuff. Hell, I didn’t need anything too graphic, but a few good makeout sessions that made me really feel something.
3. I wish that there was more to the mean girl than just being a mean girl.
4. I couldn’t believe a teacher would punish a star student for one forgotten assignment to the extent that this dude did.
5. When someone you haven’t seen in years has a history of bouncing in and out the prison system, is it wise to do what Evan agreed to do?
All in all, however, I really enjoyed this book, and my love for Evan will go on. Near, far, wherever he is. He will stay in my heart, and my heart will go on and on.
(Heyooo. Wait, will 2000+ babies understand that reference??? OH MY GOD, PLEASE SAY YES OTHERWISE I WILL FEEL OLD. Older. Ok, fine, I’m old.)
”You know this will probably backfire on you."
”How?"
”You might fall in love with me and won’t want to let go in the end."
At some point while reading this book (in one sitting), I asked Jamie if I was allowed to write a love letter to Evan as my review. She said yes, but I’ll tone it down and simply start with Evan.
Evan was just the most delicious young man ever. Yes, he was a player, but that didn’t mean he had to be a jerk. He was gorgeous and actually really, really nice. And funny and thoughtful and, yes, a little broken. The book wouldn’t be as great if the characters weren’t a little flawed and broken. He was very much embedded in my heart as soon as he woke up! (By the way, you can see just how gorgeous he is in Books Are My Fandom’s guest post… ;) )
OH, AND HE PLAYED THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND. But I’ll let you discover those heartwarming, wriggle-happily-in-your-seat moments yourself.
Taylor was so relatable I actually set the book down for a couple minutes here and there. She had an obsession with perfection so she could be just like her step-dad, who she considered her real father. She preferred biology to physics (same) and zoned in on all the gross things about dirt when it got on her face (same). She confessed to secretly being a terrible person and having dirty thoughts (same). Oh wait, that last one was me in high school; I’m pretty open with my dirt now. She also flashed from being serious, to insecure, to fiery a lot, which is something I struggle to control in myself.
Also, both of them had daddy issues. YES. HELLO. RELATABLE. I have daddy issues as well, in case you missed that. I’m pretty open about that, too.
Reading the blurb, you can tell it’s going to be a fake relationship storyline, so there shouldn’t be any surprises in the overall story. That being said, I loved that Taylor wrote a contract! AND IT WAS INCLUDED AT THE END. Love. It. That, coupled with Evan actually being a all-round Kind Human Being, gave this take on the fake relationship trope a fresh twist.
A few things kept it from being a 5-star read for me.
1. I wish Taylor didn’t have to be a virginal saint.
2. Leading on from that, I actually felt a little bit deflated at the end because I didn’t feel there was enough hot stuff. Hell, I didn’t need anything too graphic, but a few good makeout sessions that made me really feel something.
3. I wish that there was more to the mean girl than just being a mean girl.
4. I couldn’t believe a teacher would punish a star student for one forgotten assignment to the extent that this dude did.
5. When someone you haven’t seen in years has a history of bouncing in and out the prison system, is it wise to do what Evan agreed to do?
All in all, however, I really enjoyed this book, and my love for Evan will go on. Near, far, wherever he is. He will stay in my heart, and my heart will go on and on.
(Heyooo. Wait, will 2000+ babies understand that reference??? OH MY GOD, PLEASE SAY YES OTHERWISE I WILL FEEL OLD. Older. Ok, fine, I’m old.)
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
May 4, 2016
This is more of a 2-3 stars read. The first half and the last dragged which put me in an odd position. But, the third half is engaging so.
I enjoyed reading the banter, and the fake dating trope. I just wish, there’s no slut-shaming, and, “you‘re not like the other girls” litany. I highly advocate for Nguyen not to use the same plot drive next time, because she really knows how to write an engaging contemporary-romance book.
I enjoyed reading the banter, and the fake dating trope. I just wish, there’s no slut-shaming, and, “you‘re not like the other girls” litany. I highly advocate for Nguyen not to use the same plot drive next time, because she really knows how to write an engaging contemporary-romance book.
December 18, 2018
Thank you to MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING GROUP and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
I was expecting The Way to Game the Walk of Shame to be heavy read, but it was actually quite fun. I had a huge smile on my face throughout most of this book. Of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that I could picture this entire story line taking place in Tree Hill, one of my favorite fictional places. (Interestingly enough, this book takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina where One Tree Hill was filmed.)
I think this story could have worked either way – a heavy, serious read, or just as it was, light and fun. I love that Evan was so good-natured about everything and thought about the little things in their fake relationship when Taylor didn’t, and the silly things he’d do just to put a smile on her face. They had chemistry from the beginning with the whole opposites attract trope going on. She was pretty high strung about school, organization, and the future, and Evan was carefree about most things. He made Taylor think twice about what it was she really wanted, and she, without even knowing it, influenced him to focus on his future and setting goals for himself. Seeing their feelings develop for each other and actually coming around to admitting them was a fun journey. I also liked their friends in this; Taylor’s was just nosy enough to be funny, but didn’t stick her nose too far in her friend’s business. Evan’s best friend was carefree like he was, but he wasn’t careless. He and Evan had a nice friendship, and his friend was a hoot constantly looking for details about Evan and Taylor’s relationship. Taylor also instantly took Evan’s side in regards to the way his step-father treated him, and it came at a time when Evan really needed to know someone was in his corner. Her family was quite typical with very little drama, so it was a nice balance between the two.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame was a great way to spend an afternoon. It’s a book I know I’ll be reading again and again, and if you’re looking for a fun, flirty, low-angst read, I can’t recommend this one enough. I loved it from the first page to the last!
4.5 stars
I was expecting The Way to Game the Walk of Shame to be heavy read, but it was actually quite fun. I had a huge smile on my face throughout most of this book. Of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that I could picture this entire story line taking place in Tree Hill, one of my favorite fictional places. (Interestingly enough, this book takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina where One Tree Hill was filmed.)
I think this story could have worked either way – a heavy, serious read, or just as it was, light and fun. I love that Evan was so good-natured about everything and thought about the little things in their fake relationship when Taylor didn’t, and the silly things he’d do just to put a smile on her face. They had chemistry from the beginning with the whole opposites attract trope going on. She was pretty high strung about school, organization, and the future, and Evan was carefree about most things. He made Taylor think twice about what it was she really wanted, and she, without even knowing it, influenced him to focus on his future and setting goals for himself. Seeing their feelings develop for each other and actually coming around to admitting them was a fun journey. I also liked their friends in this; Taylor’s was just nosy enough to be funny, but didn’t stick her nose too far in her friend’s business. Evan’s best friend was carefree like he was, but he wasn’t careless. He and Evan had a nice friendship, and his friend was a hoot constantly looking for details about Evan and Taylor’s relationship. Taylor also instantly took Evan’s side in regards to the way his step-father treated him, and it came at a time when Evan really needed to know someone was in his corner. Her family was quite typical with very little drama, so it was a nice balance between the two.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame was a great way to spend an afternoon. It’s a book I know I’ll be reading again and again, and if you’re looking for a fun, flirty, low-angst read, I can’t recommend this one enough. I loved it from the first page to the last!
May 25, 2017
It's more like 3½.
Really cute and funny book.
OMG I love Evan! He is just amazing! ;)
Really cute and funny book.
OMG I love Evan! He is just amazing! ;)
August 6, 2016
I'm very conflicted about this book, I've read it in a few hours, it was pretty addicting. I love the fake-dating trope and the chemistry of the characters was so great, I loved them and shipped them and rooted for them. But ugh. Why does every young adult romance have to include girl hate and girls being mean to each other over a boy? It's such an anti-feminism thing to do, please just stop. Also, this book had the 'she's not like the other girls' phrase twice in it, that's the only thing I hate as much as girl-hate and the mean girl trope, if a guy ever says it to me, I will slap him.
I understand that mean girls are a thing in real life too, but can't we just support great female relationships and how girls can be jealous without insulting the other girl involved (yes, it's possible, ya authors!!!), I think it would be pretty effective to do this in order to stop the girl-hate.
So, yeah, if these two irking things would have been left out (they really didn't help the plot much anyway if you ask me), I would have easily given this book four, maybe even five stars. I liked the writing a lot and the voices of the characters were great (except those moments when Evan couldn't stop talking about how Taylor isn't like the other girls and Taylor couldn't stop hating on Amber).
I understand that mean girls are a thing in real life too, but can't we just support great female relationships and how girls can be jealous without insulting the other girl involved (yes, it's possible, ya authors!!!), I think it would be pretty effective to do this in order to stop the girl-hate.
So, yeah, if these two irking things would have been left out (they really didn't help the plot much anyway if you ask me), I would have easily given this book four, maybe even five stars. I liked the writing a lot and the voices of the characters were great (except those moments when Evan couldn't stop talking about how Taylor isn't like the other girls and Taylor couldn't stop hating on Amber).
June 11, 2016
Ah, hell. I just had to stumble upon another story about a fake relationship between two stereotypical characters in high school.....And of course, I had to be a huge sucker for stories like this one. I love a good cliche story once in a while (and by once in a while, I mean like twice a week), and well, what can I say? I liked The Way to Game the Walk of Shame because duh! Just look at my inner cliche doing a happy dance!
Aside from the fact that I'm just wired to enjoy stories like this, the build-up of their relationship happened in a perfect pace, which introduced better the dynamic between Evan and Taylor. Also unlike other fake relationship stories, Evan and Taylor's relationship felt more natural than forced. I really loved seeing the two together, especially because of their witty banters and inside jokes.
4 stars for this cute read!
Aside from the fact that I'm just wired to enjoy stories like this, the build-up of their relationship happened in a perfect pace, which introduced better the dynamic between Evan and Taylor. Also unlike other fake relationship stories, Evan and Taylor's relationship felt more natural than forced. I really loved seeing the two together, especially because of their witty banters and inside jokes.
4 stars for this cute read!
"I laid my head on his chest and listened to the rapid beating of his heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. Hmm...it was so comfortable here. Nice and warm. His heart was like a drum, mingling with the crash of the waves to play a song just for me. "
May 27, 2016
I think I fell in love with a book, you guys...
August 22, 2016
The fake boyfriend trope is one of my all time favourites in YA books. This book immediately jumped on my wishlist when I read the synopsis, and I preordered it after my birthday, and the fact it came out the day of my final uni exam seemed like fate.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame begins with Taylor, the girl known around school for being a geek, a nerd, and a shoe in for valedictorian. When she wakes up in bed with the school's biggest player, Evan, she hopes no one has noticed. Unfortunately for her, everyone at the party saw them together, and as soon as she walks into school on Monday morning, the rumours start circulating. So, what else is there to do, that manage the situation and do risk damage? Taylor's solution - her and Evan are actually together, and she's not the 'slut' that everyone is saying she is. Luckily, Evan agrees to be her fake boyfriends, and a contract - really - is drafted. Like most books with this trope, they fall for each other, for real, but not without a good helping of angst thrown in.
Taylor was amazing. Just because everyone thinks she's an Ice Queen, doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings. She's just dedicated to her work, and knows exactly what she wants with her life. She has everything planned out, and has no time for distractions. Because of this, she comes across as rude, but for those who really know her, she's kind. As the book progressed, she shed some of her icy-ness, and even though she never wavered on achieving her goals, she understood that there was more to life than just good grades.
I loved Evan, too. He was very typical for YA love interests, but he had a proper softer side, that not many people saw. What was great about this book, was that Evan was the first to realise his feelings for Taylor were real, and that meant the the green monster popped up a fair few times, when another prospective love interest appears.
That love interest, Brian, was fairly boring, and not a good fit for Taylor, at all. They'd been friends for a while, but nothing had happened, until Brian saw Taylor with Evan, and decided to make his move - not a good idea, dumb ass.
Overall, the book was just a really nice, cute, fluffy read. I had a smile on my face for the majority of the book, and though Evan and Taylor's relationship was one of the best fake-dating-to-real tropes I have ever seen. I can't wait to read more from Nguyen in the future.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame begins with Taylor, the girl known around school for being a geek, a nerd, and a shoe in for valedictorian. When she wakes up in bed with the school's biggest player, Evan, she hopes no one has noticed. Unfortunately for her, everyone at the party saw them together, and as soon as she walks into school on Monday morning, the rumours start circulating. So, what else is there to do, that manage the situation and do risk damage? Taylor's solution - her and Evan are actually together, and she's not the 'slut' that everyone is saying she is. Luckily, Evan agrees to be her fake boyfriends, and a contract - really - is drafted. Like most books with this trope, they fall for each other, for real, but not without a good helping of angst thrown in.
Taylor was amazing. Just because everyone thinks she's an Ice Queen, doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings. She's just dedicated to her work, and knows exactly what she wants with her life. She has everything planned out, and has no time for distractions. Because of this, she comes across as rude, but for those who really know her, she's kind. As the book progressed, she shed some of her icy-ness, and even though she never wavered on achieving her goals, she understood that there was more to life than just good grades.
I loved Evan, too. He was very typical for YA love interests, but he had a proper softer side, that not many people saw. What was great about this book, was that Evan was the first to realise his feelings for Taylor were real, and that meant the the green monster popped up a fair few times, when another prospective love interest appears.
That love interest, Brian, was fairly boring, and not a good fit for Taylor, at all. They'd been friends for a while, but nothing had happened, until Brian saw Taylor with Evan, and decided to make his move - not a good idea, dumb ass.
Overall, the book was just a really nice, cute, fluffy read. I had a smile on my face for the majority of the book, and though Evan and Taylor's relationship was one of the best fake-dating-to-real tropes I have ever seen. I can't wait to read more from Nguyen in the future.
October 15, 2020
Stereotypical characters, some development. Plot was alright but didn´t hold my interest for long. The book as a whole was alright but not something I will be actively recommending.
May 17, 2020
overall the story was very enjoyable and cute, but you can tell this book was published in 2016. it's full of you're not like the other girls and girls hate tropes, and it got old at some point. but the two main characters are adorable together. I liked reading about them. it's a nice read. (3.5)
February 5, 2023
01/14/2023: Reread!
Warning: This review MAY contain spoilers.
This book is fracking glorious! Absolute perfection. It delighted me to no end. I had a feeling that this book would amuse me and keep my interest, but I had no idea how much it would grab hold of me and not let go.
The plot for this story is sort of an "opposites attract" sort of tale. The main character, Taylor, finds herself in a precarious situation that threatens to ruin her reputation. Waking up in the bed of her high school's number one hunky playboy after a night drinking at a party was not something she had expected. Taylor talks said playboy, Evan, into pretending that they were dating all along to salvage her reputation. The plot plays out beautifully and it's highly amusing, heartwarming, and highly entertaining.
The world-building in this book comes from the situations that the characters are in and from their backgrounds. This book takes place in a typical high school setting, but each character's personality defines the world-building and how real it is to the reader. The author does a great job of placing the reader in their shoes, in their worlds.
The characters are so wonderful in this book. They really make the story stand out and evoke a very real feeling for the story. The two main characters, Taylor and Evan, are complete opposites but they bring out the best in each other. Taylor is an overachiever that knows what college she is going to after high school and which career path is her end game. Evan is a playboy heartthrob with no real aspirations beyond high school. Nguyen foes an amazing job of delving into these characters lives. We explore their pasts and insecurities and get to know them extremely well. They both open up to each other in ways that they have never opened up to anyone else before. Their uncomfortable and begrudging attitude towards each other in the beginning softens to a comfortable friendship and evolves into more as the story progresses. The romance is so believable because of the awesome character growth. The side characters are a delight as well. I also loved the heavy presence of family in this book, both the good and the bad parts of family. The characters in this book are so relatable and I loved every moment of their growth.
I would have liked an epilogue or just seeing a little bit more of Evan and Taylor as a real couple instead of the fake couple. We did get to see what happened during the party scene that led up to Taylor waking up in Evan's bed, which I liked.
This book really impressed me. It is entertaining from start to finish and it's so much fun. It has the perfect amount of teenage drama, adorable romance, and feels. I recommend this to all that love young adult romance. It's a winner!
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
Warning: This review MAY contain spoilers.
This book is fracking glorious! Absolute perfection. It delighted me to no end. I had a feeling that this book would amuse me and keep my interest, but I had no idea how much it would grab hold of me and not let go.
The plot for this story is sort of an "opposites attract" sort of tale. The main character, Taylor, finds herself in a precarious situation that threatens to ruin her reputation. Waking up in the bed of her high school's number one hunky playboy after a night drinking at a party was not something she had expected. Taylor talks said playboy, Evan, into pretending that they were dating all along to salvage her reputation. The plot plays out beautifully and it's highly amusing, heartwarming, and highly entertaining.
The world-building in this book comes from the situations that the characters are in and from their backgrounds. This book takes place in a typical high school setting, but each character's personality defines the world-building and how real it is to the reader. The author does a great job of placing the reader in their shoes, in their worlds.
The characters are so wonderful in this book. They really make the story stand out and evoke a very real feeling for the story. The two main characters, Taylor and Evan, are complete opposites but they bring out the best in each other. Taylor is an overachiever that knows what college she is going to after high school and which career path is her end game. Evan is a playboy heartthrob with no real aspirations beyond high school. Nguyen foes an amazing job of delving into these characters lives. We explore their pasts and insecurities and get to know them extremely well. They both open up to each other in ways that they have never opened up to anyone else before. Their uncomfortable and begrudging attitude towards each other in the beginning softens to a comfortable friendship and evolves into more as the story progresses. The romance is so believable because of the awesome character growth. The side characters are a delight as well. I also loved the heavy presence of family in this book, both the good and the bad parts of family. The characters in this book are so relatable and I loved every moment of their growth.
I would have liked an epilogue or just seeing a little bit more of Evan and Taylor as a real couple instead of the fake couple. We did get to see what happened during the party scene that led up to Taylor waking up in Evan's bed, which I liked.
This book really impressed me. It is entertaining from start to finish and it's so much fun. It has the perfect amount of teenage drama, adorable romance, and feels. I recommend this to all that love young adult romance. It's a winner!
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction
March 1, 2017
2.5 STARS
This was very okay, not bad, but not great for me either. The pretend-it's-love-till-it-gets-real trope is usually a good one. There's lots of potential for emotion and angst when love seems one-sided. Add in the fumbled teenage emotions and you usually should have a winner. But not here. Not for me.
Taylor was an annoying heroine. I couldn't understand why she was snarky or how people referred to her as the Ice Queen just because she was studious and stuck to her future plan. Examples of why she was an ice queen would have been good for character development. I really liked Evan, though.
And that cover?? Lol. My friend, A, mentioned how bad it was and she's absolutely right! Bad legs, really bad shoes and an overall trashy vibe that doesn't reflect Taylor or the book at all. Anyways, this was ok overall, but I probably won't remember it in a few days.
This was very okay, not bad, but not great for me either. The pretend-it's-love-till-it-gets-real trope is usually a good one. There's lots of potential for emotion and angst when love seems one-sided. Add in the fumbled teenage emotions and you usually should have a winner. But not here. Not for me.
Taylor was an annoying heroine. I couldn't understand why she was snarky or how people referred to her as the Ice Queen just because she was studious and stuck to her future plan. Examples of why she was an ice queen would have been good for character development. I really liked Evan, though.
And that cover?? Lol. My friend, A, mentioned how bad it was and she's absolutely right! Bad legs, really bad shoes and an overall trashy vibe that doesn't reflect Taylor or the book at all. Anyways, this was ok overall, but I probably won't remember it in a few days.
January 1, 2016
LOVED this book. Absolutely loved it!
June 6, 2016
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame
By Jenn P. Nguyen
Swoon Reads
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Rating: 3 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Way to Game the Walk of Shame for an honest review.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a fun, sweet, fast-paced, romantic book. I read the synopsis and title for this book and thought it seemed like a great read. It did have all the makings to be fantastic but I did feel that it never quite got there. However, it was good with fun banter and chemistry.
FULL REVIEW GO TO: https://takemeawaytoagreatread.com/20...
By Jenn P. Nguyen
Swoon Reads
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Rating: 3 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Way to Game the Walk of Shame for an honest review.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a fun, sweet, fast-paced, romantic book. I read the synopsis and title for this book and thought it seemed like a great read. It did have all the makings to be fantastic but I did feel that it never quite got there. However, it was good with fun banter and chemistry.
FULL REVIEW GO TO: https://takemeawaytoagreatread.com/20...
January 16, 2016
This debut novel by Jenn Nguyen is perfect! It captures the ups and downs of the high school party scene, the troublesome issues with teen social dynamics, and the ultimate fragility of one's reputation - no matter WHO you might be. As a couple, Taylor and Evan are adorable together, and I LOVED the final scene with it's reveal of what actually happened the night of the party.
Simply put: a sweet, fun read!
Simply put: a sweet, fun read!
June 10, 2016
** 3 stars **
In all honesty close to being 2.5 stars...I really want to love this one, but I just wasn't working for me o.O
In all honesty close to being 2.5 stars...I really want to love this one, but I just wasn't working for me o.O
April 20, 2017
4.5 Stars!
Loved this one! That cover sucks though! lol
Evan went straight to my favorite bad boy shelf:))
Loved this one! That cover sucks though! lol
Evan went straight to my favorite bad boy shelf:))
August 25, 2016
Review originally posted on Mostly YA Lit:
Taylor Simmons is the “most likely to succeed” in her class…so how does she end up drunk and in bed with Evan McKinley, the “manwhore”? With the rumor mill at a high, Taylor begs Evan to pretend they’re in a relationship so that she can save her reputation.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame had a few things going for it that made me request it: one of my favorite tropes, the fake relationship that turns real; dealing with slut-shaming; and an Asian author. Unfortunately, this is one of those books where I found the writing tough to get through. There were issues with tenses in description, cliched metaphors, voices that didn’t feel believable, and just awkward phrasing. And while I like one or two tropes in my books, this one was just one trope after another. Insta-love, love squares, the bad boy loner who is actually good, the good boy who thinks that people should be together because they’re similar…I felt like the author was throwing every possible thing at this couple in order to keep them apart, and it just didn’t feel real. What saved me from DNFing this book, though, was that there were some severely cute moments with the main characters that actually broke the mold and made them into real characters. They got quirkier and sweeter as they went on. I wanted them together in the end, and I wanted to see more of them together. Definitely a summer book, and a book for readers who care more about swoony moments than anything else.
Taylor Simmons is the “most likely to succeed” in her class…so how does she end up drunk and in bed with Evan McKinley, the “manwhore”? With the rumor mill at a high, Taylor begs Evan to pretend they’re in a relationship so that she can save her reputation.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame had a few things going for it that made me request it: one of my favorite tropes, the fake relationship that turns real; dealing with slut-shaming; and an Asian author. Unfortunately, this is one of those books where I found the writing tough to get through. There were issues with tenses in description, cliched metaphors, voices that didn’t feel believable, and just awkward phrasing. And while I like one or two tropes in my books, this one was just one trope after another. Insta-love, love squares, the bad boy loner who is actually good, the good boy who thinks that people should be together because they’re similar…I felt like the author was throwing every possible thing at this couple in order to keep them apart, and it just didn’t feel real. What saved me from DNFing this book, though, was that there were some severely cute moments with the main characters that actually broke the mold and made them into real characters. They got quirkier and sweeter as they went on. I wanted them together in the end, and I wanted to see more of them together. Definitely a summer book, and a book for readers who care more about swoony moments than anything else.
May 31, 2019
3.75/5
- I think?? this is one of my favourite fake dating stories??
- a little risqué for ya not gonna lie .. it’s borderline na
- good girl ice queen supposedly hooks up with the resident player and has to deal with rumours and to dissuade them they begin to fake date
- SUCH fun clashing personalities to enjoy with dual POV
- Minor gripe .. I know it was for the drama but the amount of people who enjoyed teasing taylor about the supposed hook up and even asshole teachers .. they were comically evil
- also “she’s not like other girls” warning
- Taylor And Evan though .. they were so fun they really loved teasing each other they’re both so snarky
- Idk what to say, nothing too unexpected or new happened, except their parents being much more involved than I’ve seen in other ya romances, but I think they’re the best kind of cheesy
- jenn p. nguyen is really making me get with the fake dating trope
- I think?? this is one of my favourite fake dating stories??
- a little risqué for ya not gonna lie .. it’s borderline na
- good girl ice queen supposedly hooks up with the resident player and has to deal with rumours and to dissuade them they begin to fake date
- SUCH fun clashing personalities to enjoy with dual POV
- Minor gripe .. I know it was for the drama but the amount of people who enjoyed teasing taylor about the supposed hook up and even asshole teachers .. they were comically evil
- also “she’s not like other girls” warning
- Taylor And Evan though .. they were so fun they really loved teasing each other they’re both so snarky
- Idk what to say, nothing too unexpected or new happened, except their parents being much more involved than I’ve seen in other ya romances, but I think they’re the best kind of cheesy
- jenn p. nguyen is really making me get with the fake dating trope
Shelved as 'abandoned'
February 11, 2021See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got from the publisher.
If I’d really thought things through, I would have avoided this book altogether. Fake-dating to save one’s reputation sounds super cute, there are plenty of ways to make something like this work, and it didn’t seem offensive to my sensibilities at the time.
Then I started reading. WHOO, BOY.
Two points in the jacket copy worth noting:
*“after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip” is a phrase that makes it clear everyone in the school is obsessed with everyone else and they act like they’re in a school of just 70 people when that isn’t the case.
*“it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard” is a phrase that immediately sets up a nasty “not like other girls” scenario that declares the “other girls” lesser.’
These two points and how they’re handled are why I could only read 114 pages of The Way to Game the Walk of Shame.
There’s nothing to indicate Taylor lives in a small town or goes to a small school, so the level of obsessed everyone is with Taylor and Evan is disturbing. Over the course of my reading, these things happened:
*on her first day of school after her escapades, boys are already trying to grope her and someone writes that she’s a “whore + slut” on the bathroom wall;
*people circle Evan’s car first thing in the morning;
*students actually stop to stare and gape at Taylor and Evan as a couple.
Maybe my own high school experience colors me here. 2,000+ person school (not even the opening of a new high school and the accompanying zoning changes decreased our population), no obvious cliques at lunch, no real gossip mill, etc. Pretty chill. I got almost no shit for how often I broke down crying in classes and got nothing at all over the mortifying time I had a panic attack in a panicked hallway. The one big thing I heard was that I and another girl were the only virgin girls in the 350+ person senior class, which was both laughably untrue and something only freshmen believed. Not even the seniors were that invested in each other!
So no, Taylor’s situation didn’t jive with me.
Were her school size made clear, however, that could change. My high school had the county’s only IB program (international baccalaureate) and it was very exclusive. 100-150 of the smartest students across all four grades. You had to go through testing to get in. There, everyone did know each other and gossip ran rampant, as some IB acquaintances told me. They’d share five out of seven classes with the exact same people for four years (if they weren’t kicked out, that is; that happened a good bit due to the program’s rigorous standards) and those two other classes–electives–were the only ones that let them mingle with the rest of the school.
So yeah, the setting makes a huge difference in whether I can stomach her ridiculous school life as believable. Alas, that doesn’t happen. Setting is just as important in a YA contemporary novel as it is in a YA fantasy novel and Nguyen fails to establish her story’s setting in any way.
The majority of my problem is with the novel’s nonexistent setting and melodramatic story, but other issues struck me as well. The characters seem weak and showed no signs of future growth by the time I quit; there was more stereotype than subversion. The book and I got off on the wrong foot as well when Taylor made girl-bashing comments.
In the first chapter, she flat-out says that “I’m not that kind of girl! I’m a Columbia girl.”
“That kind of girl” being the kind of girl who would be happy waking up next to a good-looking guy like Evan. No sexually liberated or even vaguely sexual girls could ever get into Columbia!
Later on the same page, she says the following:
After Evan rightfully objects and Taylor admits she’s being a jerk, she comes up with this:
If any of that is meant as a joke, it isn’t funny.
If Taylor eventually learns that this is wrong and actively confronts it in the story, then it’s sad neither she nor her book prove themselves interesting enough to stick with until the change happens.
Unless you can handle all the above and really adore the fake-dating trope, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is worth skipping.
If I’d really thought things through, I would have avoided this book altogether. Fake-dating to save one’s reputation sounds super cute, there are plenty of ways to make something like this work, and it didn’t seem offensive to my sensibilities at the time.
Then I started reading. WHOO, BOY.
Two points in the jacket copy worth noting:
*“after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip” is a phrase that makes it clear everyone in the school is obsessed with everyone else and they act like they’re in a school of just 70 people when that isn’t the case.
*“it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard” is a phrase that immediately sets up a nasty “not like other girls” scenario that declares the “other girls” lesser.’
These two points and how they’re handled are why I could only read 114 pages of The Way to Game the Walk of Shame.
There’s nothing to indicate Taylor lives in a small town or goes to a small school, so the level of obsessed everyone is with Taylor and Evan is disturbing. Over the course of my reading, these things happened:
*on her first day of school after her escapades, boys are already trying to grope her and someone writes that she’s a “whore + slut” on the bathroom wall;
*people circle Evan’s car first thing in the morning;
*students actually stop to stare and gape at Taylor and Evan as a couple.
Maybe my own high school experience colors me here. 2,000+ person school (not even the opening of a new high school and the accompanying zoning changes decreased our population), no obvious cliques at lunch, no real gossip mill, etc. Pretty chill. I got almost no shit for how often I broke down crying in classes and got nothing at all over the mortifying time I had a panic attack in a panicked hallway. The one big thing I heard was that I and another girl were the only virgin girls in the 350+ person senior class, which was both laughably untrue and something only freshmen believed. Not even the seniors were that invested in each other!
So no, Taylor’s situation didn’t jive with me.
Were her school size made clear, however, that could change. My high school had the county’s only IB program (international baccalaureate) and it was very exclusive. 100-150 of the smartest students across all four grades. You had to go through testing to get in. There, everyone did know each other and gossip ran rampant, as some IB acquaintances told me. They’d share five out of seven classes with the exact same people for four years (if they weren’t kicked out, that is; that happened a good bit due to the program’s rigorous standards) and those two other classes–electives–were the only ones that let them mingle with the rest of the school.
So yeah, the setting makes a huge difference in whether I can stomach her ridiculous school life as believable. Alas, that doesn’t happen. Setting is just as important in a YA contemporary novel as it is in a YA fantasy novel and Nguyen fails to establish her story’s setting in any way.
The majority of my problem is with the novel’s nonexistent setting and melodramatic story, but other issues struck me as well. The characters seem weak and showed no signs of future growth by the time I quit; there was more stereotype than subversion. The book and I got off on the wrong foot as well when Taylor made girl-bashing comments.
In the first chapter, she flat-out says that “I’m not that kind of girl! I’m a Columbia girl.”
“That kind of girl” being the kind of girl who would be happy waking up next to a good-looking guy like Evan. No sexually liberated or even vaguely sexual girls could ever get into Columbia!
Later on the same page, she says the following:
“I don’t want to be limped with a group of bimbos who give pictures of themselves in tiny string bikinis to random guys.” (ARC, p. 12)
After Evan rightfully objects and Taylor admits she’s being a jerk, she comes up with this:
“They’re not bimbos. I’m sure they’re all very nice. And pretty from the… little that I can actually see. Maybe their cameras slipped and they accidentally took a picture of their boobs. How do I know? Water can be pretty slippery.” (ARC, p. 12)
If any of that is meant as a joke, it isn’t funny.
If Taylor eventually learns that this is wrong and actively confronts it in the story, then it’s sad neither she nor her book prove themselves interesting enough to stick with until the change happens.
Unless you can handle all the above and really adore the fake-dating trope, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is worth skipping.
May 30, 2016
I love this sort of synopsis, so I was pretty excited to read this.
I liked Taylor and Evan. She's very structured and focused and maybe a bit sheltered. He's a flirt and laid back and maybe a bit of a slacker. Together their banter is amusing and the attempt at a relationship is adorable.
Of course there's a break up, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I loved the grand gesture and how we got the "before" chapters at the end. I would have loved an epilogue to see what happened next, but it was cute where it stopped.
**Huge thanks to Swoon Reads for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I liked Taylor and Evan. She's very structured and focused and maybe a bit sheltered. He's a flirt and laid back and maybe a bit of a slacker. Together their banter is amusing and the attempt at a relationship is adorable.
Of course there's a break up, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I loved the grand gesture and how we got the "before" chapters at the end. I would have loved an epilogue to see what happened next, but it was cute where it stopped.
**Huge thanks to Swoon Reads for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest review**
July 21, 2017
Wenn die Schwestern einen ständig fragen, wie viele Seiten noch bis zum nächsten Geschenk... =P
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