Review: The Truth about Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore

The Truth About Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore

Publication: September 1, 2012
Publisher: Smash
Purchase: Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble

Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?

My Thoughts:

I had the pleasure of receiving a copy of The Truth about Faking by Leigh T. Moore for review and after reading the synopsis I have to say I was definitely intrigued. When I jumped into this book, it took me about 50 pages or so to catch the cadence of the narrative and enjoy this light YA Contemporary novel about love, friendship and learning to live with your choices.

In this story, we meet Harley who’s had a crush on Trent for quite some time. So, she takes matters into her own hands and puts a plan together to try and get his attention. She does this with the help of the new guy in school named Jason. Harley convinces him to pretend they’re dating along with a few other schemes to hopefully get Trent to notice her. As Harley and Jason become closer friends, their relationship begins to change, but Harley has too much time vested in landing Trent, that she’s not ready to abandon her plan. This all comes to a crash landing, when Harley realizes she’s been aiming for the wrong target, but is it too late to undo the damage she’s done?

Overall, I really came to like Harley’s character despite her poor assumptions and choices at times. There were awkward moments, but that only achieved to make the novel a bit more charming. I must point out that in this book, Harley is a pastor’s daughter and there were a couple of scenes where I felt it got a bit preachy, but not enough for me to abandon the story or feel uncomfortable. It was light and it was used sparingly enough to not detract from the novel. I did like how Moore incorporated Harley’s moral choices as part of her responsibility to her family and making the right decisions played a significant influence on her because of her family’s position in the community.

Jason was definitely my favorite character in this novel. He was adorable, friendly, and just an all-around-good-guy, which is always pleasant to experience in books. I liked the decisions he made and how he played his part throughout the book. Jason was perfectly crafted as the gem of this book.

As far as Trent and Ricky, I figured out that piece of the story well before the half point, but I still enjoyed watching it play out and witnessing Harley’s reaction when she discovered the truth about these two characters.

Overall, it’s a good book for YA Contemporary fans that don’t mind a delicate mix of religious influence along with a good serving of current and relatable issues. I really enjoyed this one.

3.5 Snowflakes

 

Author Biography

Wife and mom by day, writer by day, editor by day, reader when time permits, chocoholic, lover of contemporary romance, lover of YA, lover of great books, beach bum, occasionally I sleep.

"The Truth about Faking" is my debut young adult romance. It's just a light, happy book with a hot guy and a little message tucked inside. My first adult romance "Rouge" will be published in December 2012 by Pocket Books. It's neither light nor happy. Sorry. (But it does have a hot guy!)
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