The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen Pages: 336
Published by Swoon Reads on June 7, 2016
Genres: Young Adult, contemporary, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
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.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a young adult standalone contemporary romance by Jenn P. Nguyen. It is a swoon reads romance, so I knew that it was going to be a hit with me. And it was. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a cute read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is told in dual narrative between good girl, Taylor, and notorious bad boy, Evan. A rumor gets started about the two of them, and Taylor decides that instead of letting people think the worst about her, she would work the situation to her advantage. I love the title of this book, because that is what she tries to do. She tries to game the situation into something she would like.
The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a fake relationship book. (I have said it before and I will say it again…2016 is the year of the fake relationship trope. I have read a ton of them, and it is a story line that I have really been enjoying.) Taylor decides that if people think she hooked up with Evan, it would be better for her reputation to let people think that Evan was serious about her. I was a little surprised that she got him to go along with it all so easily, because I honestly didn’t see what was in it for him. Nonetheless, it was pretty cute seeing how protective of Taylor he was. Evan is a good guy. And Taylor is great. I loved her brand of quirkiness. I mean, come on, she drew up a contract for the fake relationship. That is my kind of girl. 😉
Bottom line: if you are looking for a cute and light read that will put a smile on your face, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a great addition to the Swoon reads line of romances. I loved it. And if you are like me, and you cannot get enough of the fake relationship plot line, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a great one. You will love Taylor and Evan.
Side note: This is a minor stylistic thing, but I really liked that not only were the chapters were clearly labeled with whose point of view the chapter was gong to be told from, but also that they were styled a bit different. Taylor’s chapters had brackets around her name, and Evan’s chapters had dashes on either side of his name. I know that may be a small thing, but I appreciated the little differences between the two and the consistency throughout the story. Am I the only one that notices or cares about things like that while reading?
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About Jenn P. Nguyen
Jenn Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is her debut novel.
This book sounds like a great contemporary! I can’t wait to read it!
Sometimes I just need a cute contemporary book to make me smile and I think this is going to be one that I have up my sleve.
Thanks for the review.
I’m thinking that maybe after reading a very heart-wrenching emotional novel, this may be the “comic relief” I may need. Thanks for another great review.
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cute and light reads are always a thing for me. espcially in the summer. great beach read is sounds like. happy you loved it.
Looks like this book arrived just in time for summer.
sounds like a fun one!
Great review! I also really liked this one — the format was perfect and I loved Evan’s transition from what we think he is to what he really is, especially to Taylor!
my review