Review: The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame

by Jenn P. Nguyen
June 7, 2016

336 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

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.

 

Review

I'm a sucker for fake relationships that lead to more so when I found out about The Way to Game The Walk of Shame, it became a must-read for me. The story delivered fluttery swoons complete with a side of maturity. It was low on drama, just the way I like my cute contemporaries served ;)

Taylor's a focused and driven girl. She knows what she wants and goes for it. Things are on the right track until one unexpected night throws her world off balance. To save her reputation, she does exactly what the synopsis says- she jumps into a fake relationship with the well-known bad boy she was caught sleeping next to. Evan's not ashamed of his playboy rep. He's confident and really a good guy at his core. There were no advantages for him to agree to Taylor's contract but he did so because he saw how much it meant to her and he cared about her.

 

Taylor and Evan's relationship was fragile to begin with. They're so different. In contrast to Taylor's determination to get into her dream school at all cost, Evan's lax attitude towards his future had her jumping to help him. Yet they're also alike. They both have insecurities they kept bottled up. I loved seeing them opening up to each other as their feelings grew. They complement each other and bring different things to their relationship. Evan helps Taylor let loose and have fun while she helps him figure his life (family and future-wise) out.

The format of the book was really well-done. The alternating dual POVs allowed us to hear from both characters. In addition to that we do get the After of the drunken night Taylor and Evan shared. I appreciate the closure. It explains their beginning and leaves no room for speculations about what exactly happened that night.

I loved how great the secondary characters were at giving advices. The best friends, Carly and Aaron were especially skilled with being the voice of reason. They're pretty much the catalyst to the budding romance between Taylor and Evan. Their sometimes hilarious but mostly sincere and logical advices helped those two avoid some serious heartache and drama.

If you're a sucker (like I am) for fake-to-real relationships then make sure you don't miss out on this book. The Way to Game The Walk of Shame will give you all the warm fuzzies.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the Advance Review Copy I received.