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Wallflower

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Wallflower (wohl-flou-erh): Identifier for someone who is shy and/or awkward. For reference, see Viola Kent.

Seventeen-year-old Viola Kent likes being invisible. Well, not literally, but she's content being a loner, reading her books, and hanging out with the animals at the shelter. She just wants to keep her head down and get through her senior year at Durham High.

Driving Dare Frost to school every day wasn't part of the plan.

And when Viola finds out her dad recruited Dare, his number one player, to be her friend?

Her inner Slytherin demands revenge.

The solution: Get Dare to be her fake boyfriend.

Convincing the star athlete to pretend is easier than she'd thought it would be. The hard part is protecting her heart. With every word, touch, and kiss, Viola's feelings become more real.

The problem: Viola knows she's falling for Dare—but he doesn't believe in love.

This book features two sets of soulmates, one happy pooch named Hermione, so many sizzling kisses and answers the question:

Can a dork and a jock fake their way to true love?

326 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2021

245 people are currently reading
1996 people want to read

About the author

Cookie O'Gorman

25 books1,117 followers
Cookie O'Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, BOOKWORM, SWEETHEART, and INTROVERT are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, The Total Knockout, and The Merriest Christmas! Her newest release The Nicest Thing came out on October 9, 2025!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
Profile Image for Booktastically Amazing.
584 reviews464 followers
November 1, 2021
I'm one of those people who physically squeal, swoon and screech when something good happens in a book. (or bad. Depending on how good the bad scene is)
It's a miracle the authorities weren't notified when I yelled: HOLY CRAP, GIRL GET HIM. GET.HIM. OR I SWEAR I WILL.
I think my neighbors are used to it.
I'm so sorry

Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 4.2

See, when one goes into a rom com (especially when it's from an author you absolutely adore), expectations can't be all 'I'm really looking for a real romantic story' or 'I need a significant amount of the characters to be reasonable'. Because that notion is sadly not going to come true.
But to be honest, when have I ever read a book in which all the characters are honest, and talk out their emotions without having to almost die/ create a revolution/ or have a love spider web.

Huh, well that is a new discovery.

There were tropes, clichés, swoony moments, infuriating moments, crazy plans, revenge plots, fake dating, basically things a lot of people dislike, present in this story.

But dang did I enjoyed it all.
I yeeted my pillow off the bed when they kissed.
I screamed bloody murder whenever they were interrupted.
And of course, I harassed GR with updates.
Because why not make everyone annoyed? It's sooo much fun.

Even though I've read about/ saw / sadly not experienced, the plot nor the storyline, there's just something so refreshing about coming back to the chick flicks and stereotypical read which has forever warmed the abyss of my soul (and saved me from reading slumps because some books are that bad). Is there anything better than that?

Grabbing a cozy blanket.
Threatening to strangle and cut to pieces, certain family members that don't understand the fact of reading=doing something. And indeed, I AM doing something.
Leaning back into a mountain of pillows.
And preparing the endless amount of snacks that will be devoured...
*sigh*
That is why I read.(apart from wanting to FEEL something)

The writing was so easy to interpret ( it isn't bad at ALL) which made me enjoy this all the better. There were no exaggerated metaphors, no mystery to solve (unless you count Dare's real name *smirk*), no confusion regarding
books written in
such a
manner that reading
them becomes
a job in and of
itself.
(y'all know EXACTLY who I'm talking about)

It was just nice and simple. Just the way I needed it to be.
finally

The language and form of speech flowed amazingly. There were no forced conversation, no boring moments of info dumpness, just pure...bliss.

I absolutely loved the characters *stares in disbelief at the confession*. Seldom do I see background characters in books having an actual personality and parents being present at least in half of the book (because alllll YA teens dislike their parents and/ or do not know they exist.✨surprise✨ Another trope which I hate), and working relationships aside from the main characters! Who would've thought such a thing existed.


I am actually scared at how much the MC and I were alike. Like um... am I YA character material??? Please tell me I'm not.

She likes black
I like black
She likes animals
I like animals
She loves to read
I only breathe books
She had a crush on Dare
I had a crush on Dare
She jumped into a pool without knowing how to swim to save a puppy
I- well, I haven't done that yet. I believe that my future self will be slightly smarter than that.
(who am I kidding, I would probably throw myself into a lava pit to see if it's hot)

Viola was the kindest person ever, albeit a bit dense in admitting her feelings for Dare. Which, I completely understand because I would've done the same thing. If a person likes me, they better be ready to do a whole presentation for me to get it. It has to include a thesis, hypothesis, and whole dang conclusion, I'll also need footnotes to properly understand everything. I loved how her heart was always open and hated it at the same time.
Because her heart. was. always. open. Overall? I wouldn't mind having her as a BFF and bringing my stone self with me. I'll teach her how to close her heart, real quick. That's lowkey sad

Do you know what wasn't sad? The guy in this book.
The love interest was lovely.
I'll be his truth.
I'll make him be honest and see the light.
I'll be his Pride & Prejudice- okay, I think y'all get it.
He made me swoon so badly, I was legit smothering a pillow in my excitement. I messaged a friend of mine countless times being all:

Booksy: 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕, 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝.
Booksy: 𝙷𝚎'𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎.
Booksy: 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚗.
Booksy: 𝙸'𝚖 𝚍𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐.
Booksy:𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍𝚕𝚢.
Booksy: 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚙.

To be honest, sometimes he angered me, but I believe that there has to be at least a modicum of arguments in a relationship. Which we both are in. With each other. He just doesn't know it yet. This man was tall, handsome, sarcastic, sassy, didn't believe in love, and guysssss, his real name? Psh! Amazing.

And like, he made me feel- OH MY GOD, I JUST REALIZED WHAT THE NAME OF THE BOOK STANDS FOR. OH MY GOD. MY INNOCENCE- is still present, moving on...

All in all, I would most likely crush hard on Dare. Would I marry him? Remains to be seen. *wink WINK*

The romance was so darn tooting sweet. (I just said tooting. I need help) It made me feel loved, single, destroyed, single, amazingly fluffy... and loved! And those kisses of theirs??? Nuh uh. They wanted to kill me. Thoroughly. They are a danger to society. I adored how they communicated their feelings in the final chapters, how their banter didn't feel uncomfortable nor awkward to witness. The fake dating was *chef's kiss* perfection, without counting the fact of the 'Phases of revenge'.

If I could blush, I would've blushed from here to Neptune. Alllll the way. Forget about jetpacks, just take my cheeks and staple them to a pair of wings. Icarus got nothing on that. Read More

If you're actually prepared for some drunk on air mumbling, click that link.
Only if you're prepared though.😏
*snort* I cannot believe I just wrote that-

.............................................................................

Can a dork and a jock fake their way to true love?

The answer is yes.
And I’m still going to enjoy every minute of it.
Profile Image for Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥.
772 reviews392 followers
March 23, 2021
Wallflower was impossible not to devour in one sitting! This story swept me away and the pages were filled with charm, humor and romance. So this book went straight onto my favorites list! I loved that the story line was so much fun and that I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. I even cried a few tears, happy and sad. And that ending?! It made my heart so happy. If you're a fan of young adult romance, characters that will embed themselves into your heart and kissing that will make you swoon, then this is a must for your tbr! While Wallflower can easily be read as a standalone, if you enjoyed Adorkable, I have a feeling you're going to love this book as much as me.
My face heated. "Could you not do that."
"Do what?" he said.
"That." I ran a hand through my hair, trying to cover my face a little and hide. "People will think you're flirting."
Dare stared at me. "And?"
Ugh, it felt like I was in the freaking Twilight zone. "You know, maybe I sat over here because I didn't want to be found," I said. "Did you ever think of that?"
"Too bad," he said with a cockiness I hadn't heard in a while. "I already found you. And now, we're having lunch. Deal with it."

Viola Kent was coerced by her Dad, Becks (screaming since I love Adorkable), to drive one of the boys on his soccer team to school. Dare Frost was popular, outgoing and sexy. Viola was a loner, who loved to read her books and help out at the animal shelter. So when she found out that her Dad had convinced Dare to be her friend, she made plans to get him back. And what better way then fake dating the boy her father forced to be her friend.
"What are you doing?" I gasped.
"Getting naked," he said.
"What?!?"
"Jeez, relax. I was kidding, flower." He laughed, the movement making the muscles in his stomach contract, and I could do nothing but stare. "You should've seen your face."
My eyes flashed back to his. "Did I look stunned and appalled? Because that's what I felt when you ripped your clothes off in front of me like that."
He tsked. "Funny. The only thing I saw was appreciation."

Right from the start I loved Viola! She was so easy to click with, had the hugest heart ever and the kindest soul. It seemed like her only friends in the world were the animals at the animal shelter. I got so attached to two of them and wanted to take them home ♥. Viola did have a fabulous relationship with her parents, and that made my heart so happy. I also loved that while Viola enjoyed her solitude, I respected how brave she could be and the chances she took. There were times that I had sweaty palms and also felt so embarrassed for her. Viola was so much more courageous than I ever could have been in some of those situations. So it hurt to watch others bully her. I hated that a group of kids at her school tried to dim her light and make her feel bad about herself. But with Dare now in her life, I had all the hope in the world that he would help out with that horrific situation. And help her become a little more involved with those around her.
After a moment, I added, "But I've never gone to the games."
"That was before you were my girlfriend."
The words sent a ripple of warmth straight through me, and I cursed my heart for a fool.

Dare sailed right onto my book boyfriend list! He was such a good guy at heart. Dare was kind, protective, seductive, thoughtful, caring and I was obsessed with him. He was a star athlete at his school, so of course he was cocky but also swoon worthy. So I loved that he was so much more than Viola ever thought he was. How could I not fall madly in love with him?! Especially when he was sweet and charming to her. Although.....Dare did enjoy messing with Viola. But Viola would throw it right back at him. It all made me laugh so much. Each moment that we spent with Dare, the further he pulled me under his spell. Plus when Dare called Viola flower, I literally melted.
Who knew a stolen first kiss could be so soul-shattering?

While Viola and Dare had known of each other, we got to watch their friendship grow. Their moments in her car and at school kept me turning the pages faster. And the fact that Viola wanted them to get caught by her dad made their plans a ton of fun and smile inducing! Their interactions were so entertaining and the way their fake dating played out gave me butterflies. But with a touch here. A genuine smile there. And kisses. It slowly started to build something between them. Something that felt real, even though it wasn't supposed to be. But they're both just faking it right? So what happens when one of them starts to feel more then they should? Where are they supposed to go from there?
Oh my God.
Dare Frost had kissed me.
No, he'd branded me with his lips, stamping it into my memory, making sure I'd never forget him or this moment.
And I had one-hundred percent let him. Had kissed him back as if my life depended on it. My cheeks flared hot.
He read my expression and gave a slow smile.

Romance lovers will absolutely adore Wallflower! With Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing, Clueless and other references, I actually screamed out loud a few times because of how they wove into the story. From beginning to end this story was laugh out loud hilarious. And I loved that there was also friendship, I heart good people like Estelle, and that we got to see what Sally and Becks were up to *jumping up and down*. So while there were deeper moments with bullying, family struggles, and love, I spent the majority of this book constantly smiling. I'm so happy to say that Cookie O'Gorman wrote another book that sailed right onto my favorites list!

Other Favorite Quotes:
"I don't want to be your friend," I said with as much distaste as I could muster.
"Too bad, flower."
Dare stared into my eyes, his baby blues warm and unflinching as my heart tried to escape my chest. "I'm going to be the best friend you've ever had," he said. The words were like a vow. "I'm going to friend you so hard no other friends will ever compare."
I had no idea what he meant by that.
But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying to find out.


With the next breath, Dare had picked me up, my legs closing in reaction about his waist. I didn't realize he was walking until my back was pressed against the wall.
And still, we kissed.


One thing was certain: Dare was very good at pretending.
That kiss had sure felt real.
But it wasn't, I reminded myself sternly. This was all just a means to an end.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

For more of my reviews, please visit:
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Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,696 reviews465 followers
March 29, 2023
SOOO CUTE,🫶🫰❤️💞
WHOLESOME🥰
FEEL GOOD🥹

"I know that you are the one for me. And I love you so much, Dare Frost, that it's okay if you don't believe in love. I'll love you enough for both of us”
.
Este libro es todo eso y más, me puso muy feliz y mi corazoncito muy soft.

Es un Young Adult con el trope de Fake Dating y un toque de Friends to lovers, es muy cliché pero aquí amamos los clichés y se sabe.

Viola es una estudiante que está por empezar su último año y ella espera que sea como siempre siendo invisible pasando desapercibida pero su papá el entrenador de futbol de su escuela le pide de favor que lleve a uno de los estudiantes a la escuela mientras arreglan su carro.
Dicho estudiante es nada más ni menos que el chico más popular, medio badboy y la estrella de futbol, él empieza a tener cierto interés en ella quiere ser su amigo, pero se entera que su papá se lo pidió y como venganza le pide ser su novio falso porque una de las reglas del entrenador es que su hija está prohibida.
Y con eso del noviazgo falso, las nuevas amistades, su último año en definitiva no será igual.

Viola y Dare no pueden ser más monos y adorables, me encantó su relación que empezó siendo falsa pero conformé se iban conociendo más se gustaban, amé las miradas, los gesto que tenía él hacia ella, los besos, sus bromas, todo era muy bonito.

Y la declaración de amor es de las cosas más bonitas, me hizo llorar de felicidad, aunque esto último se debe a mis hormonas.
"I got to know you better, flower, and everything I found out just made me want you more. Your sarcasm, your mind, your heart. Those animals you care for? I wished I was one of them because they had your full attention, and I felt like that's all I wanted.”

"I love you," he said simply. "Always have, flower. Always will.”



En serio amé mucho este libro y lo que me hizo más disfrutarlo es que es de la hija de Sally y Beck del libro Adorkable y disfruté mucho volverlos a leer y saber que todo ese tiempo estuvieron juntos formaron una bonita familia y que se aman más que nunca.
Y las escenas como familia eran bien bonitas.

Sin duda disfruté mucho volver a leer a ésta autora y necesito más.
Profile Image for Ariel.
644 reviews131 followers
January 28, 2022
This book!! What can I say that can possibly describe how much I loved it??!

Right off the bat I'm hit with the feels after finding out Viola's PARENTS are freaking SAL and BECKS from Adorkable!!!! Whaaaaaaaaaaa. After reading that, I had to take a minute to compose myself because all of the beautiful feelings from Adorkable came rushing back. In fact, if you need me, you can find me re-reading that book for the hundredth time.

But anywayyyy, the cuteness and feels didn't end there! Oh, no, my friend. They continued throughout the book and had me swooning and soaring, and crying and catcalling. I loved every minute of this book.

This had the glorious fake dating trope and it was done very well! We see two characters from completely "different worlds" that come together to fake date for a cause. Dare, our love interest, kinda popped into Viola's world in this book where before, they had been living separate lives. I soooo appreciated that this book discussed this fact. I feel like so often in fake dating tropes or in dork and popular love interest tropes, the popular one just comes out of nowhere into the dork's life and it's never determined why. In this book, Dare and Viola actually talk about why they weren't in each others' orbits and what changed in this book to bring them together. I was so happy this happened!

Another thing that set this book apart for me from other similar books was Tyson. Tyson, the popular jock that everyone is in love with (other than Dare), is actually a nice guy. He wasn't some jerk that was mean to everyone for no reason and I loved that! Popular characters can be nice too! Thank you for modeling that O'Gorman.

Something else I loved about this was all the fandom references!! Viola made so many references to many beloved series and movies and I was here. for. it.

Now, the part I've really been wanting to talk about...the romance! As I already mentioned, this book has a wonderful fake dating trope which means that our lovely Viola and Dare date without having romantic feelings for each other. But in a very real sense, they have romantic feelings for each other. I loved all their fun banter with each other. Dare was always getting on Viola's nerves with his prideful remarks and it was just so funny to read about them interacting. On top of that, they both had things they needed to work through and realize, and they were able to jump-start that change in each other. I loved them as a couple.

Overall, there was so much to love about this book and you'd be crazy not to read it if YA romances are your jam. I'm so glad I was able to revisit old characters while continuing on with new ones. This book was truly a delight!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Profile Image for Lini.
47 reviews24 followers
October 27, 2022
This was such a good and cute read. The pace was beautiful and I loved the characters.
Profile Image for Kathy * Bookworm Nation.
2,158 reviews703 followers
June 18, 2021
I don't read much YA anymore, but this came highly recommended so I had to give it a try! This is also my first book by Ms. O'Gorman and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was drawn into the story and how likable the lead characters were. Viola was a fun, spunky character. I liked her sarcastic personality. Dare was cocky and sweet. They have fun banter and good chemistry.

I am not a super big fan of the trope where the heroine is a total loner, doesn't have one friend, but the hottest and most popular guy in school falls for her. It'd be nice and a bit more believable if Viola, in this case, who was perfectly normal and fun, had friends. Another small quibble, I thought the storyline with Tyson was completely random and took me out of the story. It felt forced, unresolved and just unnecessary to the story as a whole. And the timing was just bad, took away from the scene between Viola and Dare, IMO.

Overall, a cute YA story, fun characters. It left me wanting to check out more from Ms. O'Gorman.

Content Rated PG
Romance: Kissing
Language: Mild
Violence: None
Profile Image for Kerra.
263 reviews5 followers
Read
March 27, 2021
Pump fake dating plots straight into my veins
Profile Image for Neide Gomes.
588 reviews35 followers
June 25, 2022
4.75/5 stars!

“One thing was certain: Dare was very good at pretending.
That kiss had sure felt real.
But it wasn't, I reminded myself sternly. This was all just a means to an end.”


This book contains: “Flowers”, soccer practice, the fake dating trope, mean cheerleaders, Harry Potter, quick breakfasts, carpooling, stray dogs and being brave.

My third Cookie O’Gorman book and definitely my favorite so far! To be honest, I loved them all so far, but this romance was everything my little heart could have hoped for!
So what made this story so great for me? The answer is: everything! The characters, the relationship, the chemistry between the main characters, the plot, the pacing, the writing… everything!
Let’s start with the characters. I adored both main characters, Viola and Dare. Viola was a very strong and opinionated main character (but not in a bad way). I loved her as a female lead because she was a relatable character with a very kind heart. And Dare Frost was the perfect male lead! He was written with a great, likable personality that complemented Viola’s perfectly. Together, they had a great chemistry and great banter! I swear Cookie O’Gorman writes the best book boyfriends!
Not only the characters brought the story to life, but the writing and plot made the story flow easily. This was a very easy, feel-good read with a fast pacing. The story was well written and was full of cute, sweet and funny moments.
I also found some of my favorite tropes here. If you like the fake dating trope or the enemies to lovers trope in YA, chances are you will love this book - just a quick side note, the hate to love is one sided here.
I adored everything about this book. I saw there are a few new releases from this author, and I'm dying to see what those are about. As for this one, I can’t recommend it enough!

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Profile Image for ضحى الحداد.
Author 3 books638 followers
December 26, 2021
Oh My Heart that was really cute and I was really in the mood for this kind of book
So the story is about Violet, she is a loner and she liked being a nerd without any friends, until Dare Frost pops in her life out of the blue .. he follows her everywhere being extra nice and wanting to be her friend, but then she discovers that her father actually hired him to be her friend, so viola plots a revenge on her father .. by pretending to be in love with Dare
it really gave me "10 things I hate about you" vibe .. it was fun and light and full of laughable scenes .. my favorite quote was " I will friend you so hard no other friend will compare" LOL
this author is amazing and can't wait to read more of her books
Profile Image for Daisy Delfin.
1,485 reviews179 followers
March 5, 2023
This is the second book I have read from the author Cookie O'Gorman. Like Adorkable it's about a fake relationship which turns into more. The story was a cute ya/ coming of age story. The characters were adorable and I enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Navss (read.yourbooks).
629 reviews24 followers
March 28, 2021
"𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉, 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕." 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. "𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈."
𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒅. "𝑰'𝒎 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕.

This is cheesy, cute and soooo romantic. I've been smiling wide enough for my jaw to hurt and have definitely leaked a few tears.

✓High school
✓Fake Dating
✓Coach's daughter
✓Clean romance
✓Animal lovers

How the dating starts is not direct and is definitely not to make a guy jealous. The whole plotline is simple, sweet and effective.

This book has tons and tons of book references, movie refrences, K dramas and even a One Direction reference. FULL PACKAGE. This can't get any better!!

I've enjoyed reading this book immensely and did definitely lose sleep but that's not new with @CookieO'Gorman 's books¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The amount of innocent and thoughtful actions made me love this story too much. Dare and Viola are opposites but are definitely soul mates.

The story begins and chapter 1 is full of awkwardness but I have to say, Viola has guts. I've felt every emotion our female lead has felt, I've felt embarrassed from her side, felt happy, sad but still rooted for her HEA. Tyson's ending was definitely not predictable, like at all.

Dare aka his name you'll know at the end' is the star soccer player. He's cocky, confident, charming and charismatic.
Viola is the nerdy invisible girl who perfers dogs over people and honestly who wouldn't?

Their story is full of laughter, diabetes causing level sweetness and banter♡♡
Another fabulous story!
Profile Image for Val.
678 reviews8 followers
April 9, 2021
Sweet romance

Even if I am a little older, I still read YA romance books but I do get a bit picky on YA “contemporary” romance. Cookie O’Gorman’s books, though, I love them all!!! You will not fail for some adorable and out right fun read!Just another one in my collection for sure. You can read this book over and over! When a new book comes out fr. her, it’s an automatic buy for me!!!! She’s such a great writer and knows how to balance out the swooning, being funny, giddy-ness, and high school life. Fyi, the development of each character is on point!!! Dare is trying to be friends with the wallflower, Viola which she is content not having friends at all during the senior year of high school. It was just nice to have a simple and sweet romance with these 2. I would definitely recommend it for people who just need a fun and delightful read.
Profile Image for Abbey Beanz .
13 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2021
I just finished Wallflower by Cookie O'Gorman just a minute ago, and I just had to write a review! Cookie O'Gorman is one of my favorite authors of all time! She has mastered the art of creating the sweetest romances! I turn 27 in 2 days, and I am not ashamed that I squeal and swoon like a fangirl every time I read a Cookie O'Gorman book. In Wallflower, Dare Frost would say such the sweetest, most romantic things to our main girl Viola Kent. However between Dare and Viola, my favorite was definitely Viola because I love that she is a fellow romance lover like myself, she has a passion for taking care of animals at a shelter, she loves music, and I absolutely adore her love for Harry Potter! Even though she is half Slytherin and half Gryffindor, while I am a Hufflepuff, I think we would be best friends! I guarantee you that anyone who loves YA romance will definitely love this book or any book created by Cookie O'Gorman! I wish that Cookie had 10+ more books for me to read.
Profile Image for pip.
284 reviews10 followers
May 21, 2022
3.5⭐️
Profile Image for Deborah.
676 reviews52 followers
June 15, 2021
You know it’s a winner when you finish it and you want to immediately start over again! I was glued to this story! I couldn’t wait to finish and never wanted it to end all at the same time. There were so many moments where I was laughing out loud! So. Many! There was one funky part of the story near the end that I thought was super weird and didn’t even make sense. But other then that, I was in love!
Profile Image for Stacy.
277 reviews6 followers
August 20, 2021
Oh my, Cookie O’Gorman writes the BEST book boyfriends! I loved every page of this one. If you haven’t read Adorkable definitely read that before Wallflower as it’s about Sally and Beck’s daughter. So cute and such great banter and flirting. Loved it.
Profile Image for Krista Heit Valentine.
122 reviews2 followers
February 3, 2022
Cute. Funny. Sweet. Perfect fun romance. Both characters are likable in their own right and you feel for both of them which makes the story so much better. I read a ton of these types of books and sometimes they are good but not anything that is a true stand-out but this one did. Overall if you are looking for a feel good read that will make you at times laugh out loud (and maybe tear up a time or 2) then I highly suggest you give this one a whirl.
Profile Image for Little.Reader.
125 reviews3 followers
December 16, 2021
4.5 Stars



This was a great quick and easy fun read! A cute and sweet YA fauxmance that’ll give you cavities. Ugh, loved it. Fauxmance is my favorite trope and even more so with enemies to lovers sprinkled in.

Such a sweet couple and a great book to read to get out of my reading slump. Still need to finish the other book I’m currently reading.

That book was getting a bit stale and needed something quick and fun to read while I took a break from it. And this book was great.
Profile Image for Courtney.
629 reviews4 followers
January 19, 2022
Something about this book seemed familiar, and at the end it dawned on me that this is a sequel to Adorkable. Good times.
4 reviews
June 1, 2023
For anyone, who was a fan of Adorkable, this is a must-read. It is easy to read, funny, has awesome characters and is incredibly cute. The author's great style, which we got used to in her other books, is absuletly reflected by this novel as well.

Also, I read in the acknowledgements, that the author had written about her own experiences about being barked at. I think it meant so much for kids with similar difficulties. Thank you!
Profile Image for Kristy.
1,751 reviews10 followers
September 30, 2021
4.5 stars
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I am here for anything and everything Cookie O'gorman writes!
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I loved this sweet romance so much and can't wait to read it again soon!
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9/29/21: apparently 6 months is how long I could go before rereading this. I loved it all over again.
291 reviews4 followers
May 19, 2022
I adored the first book Adorkable when it first came out and have read it several times since so I was so excited to find out this was Sal and Beck’s child. Brilliant!!
Profile Image for Hannah (Hannah, Fully).
704 reviews274 followers
March 26, 2021
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review. I can't believe my ass completely didn't notice that Sally and Becks from Adorkable, which I read and loved years ago, actually grew up and Wallflower was about their kid Viola until I read the acknowledgments. But I thoroughly enjoyed their appearance in O'Gorman's latest novel set in the same world and reading Wallflower kind of makes me want to go back and reread Adorkable.

Wallflower was just as cute, featuring an adorable romance involving a fake relationship while plotting just a little revenge when Viola finds out her father intentionally had her drive Dare to school so they could be friends.

(I mean... I too would plot revenge against my own father if he thought it was a good idea to recruit someone to be my friend.)

What I Liked about Wallflower
~ Viola's relationship with her parents despite her revenge. Honestly, sometimes it's actually nice to see little tension between parent/child.
~ As much as I loved Sally and Becks' relationship in Adorkable and the references to the book, O'Gorman strikes a perfect balance so it doesn't overshadow Viola's and Dare's own growing relationship and so it doesn't confuse any readers who haven't read Adorkable yet.
~ Fake dating - I am a sucker for this trope and that is all I will say about this. Plus added on top of the occasional snark and banter? Bye, friends. I'll see you in a few hours.

What I Didn't Like/Felt Iffy about Wallflower
~ I never really liked how Dare called Viola flower throughout the book considering she didn't seem okay with it if I recall? There's a lot to unpack in regards to this, but I don't think this review is the time to go into it, so I'll just leave it as, partially, it stems from personal preference.
~ The many pop culture references - I generally don't mind it much, especially if it's a reference to some of my favorite things, but I sometimes feel Wallflower had a bit too much.

Overall Thoughts
I honestly don't have many thoughts about Wallflower. O'Gorman's latest novel was the perfect escape for me that fell at the right time when I needed a feel-good, happily ever after cute romance. It's a light and fluffy read that's perfect if you're looking for a quick young adult contemporary book to read, which is something I enjoy from all of O'Gorman's novels I've read thus far.

This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.
Profile Image for Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction.
1,128 reviews853 followers
February 8, 2022
This book utterly delighted me to no end. I was completely enraptured in this story from start to finish.

Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. I read the entire thing in a single sitting. The pacing was perfect and the storytelling was just amazing. I could feel myself in the shoes of these characters over and over.

These characters really struck a chord with me. I latched on to them from the very beginning. I loved their personalities and how relatable they were. Viola and Dare were had excellent character development and their characters were really fleshed out nicely. I really felt a strong connection to these characters. I know that these are characters that I am going to think back on again and again. They were so memorable.

This love story was epic and adorable and chock full of feels. I adore fake relationship tropes and this one was so well done. The connection formed between Viola and Dare was magical. You could feel their chemistry jumping off the page. They had excellent banter and I truly fell so in love with them as a couple. This is one of those love stories that is told so well that it just really gets you in the feels and you can't help shipping them so hard.

Overall, this is a story that really packed on all the feels. I can always count on Cookie O'Gorman to write a story that I really connect with. This is an author that I will always come back to again and again. If young adult romance is your jam then this book should be at the top of your TBR. I cannot recommend this book enough!


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Profile Image for Paula  Phillips.
5,665 reviews340 followers
March 14, 2021

This book had captured my attention as I love those stories of #nerd meets and falls in love with a #jock as it can show that opposites truly do exist and also that you can never judge a person by their looks and that under a plain girl will be the "forever" one and that under pretty looks are "easy girls". For Viola, she inherited her mum's nerdiness rather than her dad's athletic ability and looks. Viola is her mother's daughter and would rather spend her time reading and hanging out with the animals at the shelter. In this book, we see the bullies call Viola "dog girl", I have to admit I didn't like this as it got me a bit confused as I had just last week read a book called "Dog Girl" which was also about an #nerd who worked at a dog shelter and this is also what the bullies called her and this felt too close for my comfort especially also since both books are published by the same company and promoted via the same tour company. Back to the story after my little gripe, we have Viola who learns her dad has promised soccer star Dare Frost - that Viola will drive him to and from school. Soon the pair start spending time together but when Viola learns her dad asked Dare to be her friend - she puts on her Slytherin hat and decides to get revenge on her dad by fake dating Dare and then the rest is history as we all know what happens with fake romances. As this book is a YA high school romance and published by Swoon Romance, it is also a clean romance and suitable for girls aged 12 - 16+.
Profile Image for Have Coffee Need Books.
608 reviews53 followers
March 26, 2021
Dare Frost is just the sort of book boyfriend I needed this week.

When Viola Kent says she likes being under the radar, she means it. She doesn't want to be part of the crowd, and in the spotlight, she means it. And when she says she doesn't need any more friends, she means it. So color her furious when she finds her father is trying to manipulate the school playboy and sports star to be her new best friend. Just because her dad is his coach doesn't mean that Dare owes him the favor of feeling bad for Viola with him.

Fear Viola once she discovers her dad's duplicity. Because now the manipulated becomes the manipulator, and her ideas include using Dare to show her dad his idea was terrible, by pretending Dare is her new boyfriend.

Oh, but Dare is an incredible boyfriend, and Viola is so lucky. She just hit the lottery. He is one in a million. I personally would trade all the other men I read about this week for Dare in a second and he was one of seven. #LetsKeepDare

I don't know if I was just really in the mood for a great YA book or if this was as good as it felt, to be honest. Because this book struck me right where it needed to, it was just what I needed when I needed it to be for my reading needs. I loved the characters, and I adored the story.

BUT! I am not a Potterhead, and I did not appreciate the Harry Potter-isms that it drowned in. But really, that is my only complaint.

Highly recommend

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
Profile Image for Eclectic Review.
1,684 reviews5 followers
March 22, 2021
Welcome to my spot on Cookie O’Gorman’s Wallflower Book Tour sponsored by YA Bound Book Tours. Well, I’m hooked. I can’t pass up a nerd meets jock story with references to teen romcoms because I am the expert on 80s romcoms…and, yes, I was the nerd with no boyfriends in high school.

Viola is a loner, a lover of animals, a talented cellist, and the soccer coach’s daughter. When her confession to her crush goes bad, her father interferes in her friendless life and convinces her crush’s best friend and top soccer player, Dare Frost, to be friends with his daughter. When Dare confesses what her father does, Viola blackmails Dare to become her fake boyfriend to get back at her father. What could go wrong?

I love Viola’s confidence and freedom to be herself. Though she’s bullied and has no friends, she is not afraid to stand up for herself. Her parents are great role models and are very supportive of her though a little too much sometimes. Dare is a really sweet guy, with just a little naughtiness as Viola’s boss, Paris says. Though Dare’s home life is heartbreaking with two unloving parents who don’t even go to his soccer games, he is very respectful of Viola and makes very sweet gestures for someone who doesn’t believe in love. Come on, he gives her the nickname of Flower. Sigh!!! And the panty-melting kissing scenes are yummy!

I recommend this fun, charming, and clean YA romance with delightful characters and LOL moments. I couldn’t put this book down.

Thank you to Ms. O’Gorman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
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