Day’s YA: RULES FOR FAKE GIRLFRIENDS

RULES FOR FAKE GIRLFRIENDS by Raegan Revord
9781250356345
9/2/2025
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Avery Blackwell has it all planned out–she’s going to attend Columbia University, study biology, go to medical school, and eventually practice oncology. But when she receives a postcard from her recently deceased mother telling her to take a risk, she abandons that plan to spend her freshman year at the University of Brighton—her mother’s alma mater—in England. On a train trip to the university, she meets Charlie, a girl desperate to get her ex back. So, naturally, Avery and Charlie strike a deal straight out of a rom-com: Avery will pretend to be Charlie’s girlfriend to make her ex jealous, and Charlie will help Avery solve a scavenger hunt that her mom left in Brighton decades ago. As they explore Brighton and Avery learns more about her mother, the pretending starts to feel real. But as secrets are uncovered and the future gets more uncertain, Avery starts to wonder if falling in love is worth the risk.

RULES FOR FAKE GIRLFRIENDS is Raegan Revord’s debut novel, which they wrote at age 15! Combining romance with mystery and a coming-of-age journey, it’s heartwarming, emotional, and a fun romp around the most adorable seaside town. I could practically smell the salt in the air when they walked around town. With a diverse cast of characters that Avery meets throughout her year in Brighton, there’s a beautiful depiction of found family. Raegan effortlessly captured characters dealing with grief, mental illness, chronic illness, and disabilities, and showcased beautiful, healthy queer relationships along with it. All of the individuals Avery meets feel just as real and developed as the main characters, and I started to feel like I knew them as if they were my own friends.

Avery was such a relatable, realistic main character. Her experience with grieving her mother was raw and real, as she felt every emotion, from anger, to sadness, to regret, and more. With each page, I watched her grow and learn more about herself, all while she continued to solve the scavenger hunt and learn more about her mother–someone who she had her differences with, but was still connecting with. Along with her grief, her fears about entering an actual relationship were also incredibly valid and understandable, as someone who had experienced so much loss already. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and this was no exception. Avery and Charlie getting to develop a strong friendship at the start of their story made this romance perfect–I could feel the chemistry and the tension building between the two of them throughout each chapter. With each stolen glance and short conversation, I was kicking my feet waiting for them to finally get together. 

This book took me right back to the beginning of college, when everyone is simply trying to figure it all out and learn what they want. If you’re a fan of Alice Oseman, I KISSED SHARA WHEELER, or LOVE & GELATO, you absolutely need to pick this book up.

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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