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Love Goes Viral
An aspiring pop star crafts a fake relationship with a small-town boy to rehab her image, until her ex and her real feelings get in the way in this sweeping romance perfect for fans of Lynn Painter.
Love Thompson went viral. Now she has it all—fifty million followers, brand deals, a Hollywood address, and the fast track to the music career she’s always dreamed of—until…she doesn’t.
After Love takes the blame for her influencer boyfriend’s mistake, the fallout goes more viral than the video that rocketed her to fame. By the next morning, she’s already lost sponsorships, ten million followers, and her debut single. Love needs to rehab her image, and that means dating someone a little more homegrown.
Enter Austin Grey. Austin is about as homegrown as it gets. His only followers are the regulars at his family’s struggling diner that he’s doing his best to save. But everything changes when he gets a DM from a star he never expected to cross paths with again.
When Love walks back into Austin’s life, she thinks this is a purely online scheme with an expiration date. But as genuine feelings start to develop that keep them coming back to each other again and again, will either of them be willing to take a chance on something real?
Love Thompson went viral. Now she has it all—fifty million followers, brand deals, a Hollywood address, and the fast track to the music career she’s always dreamed of—until…she doesn’t.
After Love takes the blame for her influencer boyfriend’s mistake, the fallout goes more viral than the video that rocketed her to fame. By the next morning, she’s already lost sponsorships, ten million followers, and her debut single. Love needs to rehab her image, and that means dating someone a little more homegrown.
Enter Austin Grey. Austin is about as homegrown as it gets. His only followers are the regulars at his family’s struggling diner that he’s doing his best to save. But everything changes when he gets a DM from a star he never expected to cross paths with again.
When Love walks back into Austin’s life, she thinks this is a purely online scheme with an expiration date. But as genuine feelings start to develop that keep them coming back to each other again and again, will either of them be willing to take a chance on something real?
368 pages, Hardcover
Published January 6, 2026
13 people are currently reading
7259 people want to read
About the author
Camille Stochitch
3 books9 followersCamille Stochitch was born in Paris, France, and studied American literature at the Sorbonne University. She’s lived in Los Angeles for over ten years, where she works as a director and screenwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 10, 2026
2.75 ⭐️
After going viral for dancing on her teacher to help out her friend, Love Thompson’s dreams have finally come true. She has millions of followers, lives in L.A., and has a hot, famous boyfriend. Sure, she isn’t making her own music as she hoped, but that’ll come later, right? All she has to do is make her fans happy, and she’ll get what she wants. But when she takes the blame for her boyfriend’s mistake, she finds herself not only canceled, but losing millions of her followers because of her now tainted reputation. Love needs to save face fast, and the only way she can think of saving her career is if she goes back to her small-town roots and “falls in love” with a sweet guy that she might already have feelings for.
Enter Austin Grey. Life couldn’t be any harder on him. His beloved father is dead, a girl he loves breaks his heart, and the diner his father ran is in danger of closing down. Any dreams he has are put on hold to help out his mom and sister and to keep his dad’s dream alive. So when a run-in with Love leads to her messaging him and staying with him and his family. Maybe his broken heart can be put together again.
Don’t be mean, Sarah. Don’t be mean. Just take a deep breath in…and a deep breath out.
I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start off by saying that the other reviews that are three stars and lower are true. The ending was so abrupt and not at all satisfying. The writing was just too YA for me. I was even laughing at how ridiculous the OMGs, trusts, and other slang words sounded. Don’t get me wrong–the writing wasn’t bad. It was just not for me. I know this is intended for teens, but if you market this as something perfect for Lynn Painter fans who are also adults, then I think you need to edit some words out because I’m pretty sure Painter’s books aren’t as ridiculously YA as this is. But, then again, I wouldn’t know because I haven’t read a Lynn Painter book yet, so maybe I’m just spewing out nonsense. Either way, I didn’t like it. 😅
Now, let’s talk about Love. First of all, I am tired of the so-called “unique” names of characters nowadays. Really? Love? I swear, I’m trying not to be rude, but Love is the first choice you have to use? It would be fine as a stage name or whatever, but as a given name? I honestly cringed every time Love’s name was used. And it’s not only her name I have a problem with. It’s her selfishness. Did she honestly think that her plan to use Austin was a good one, let alone a moral one? I’m not the biggest fan of celebrities, and she is the reason why. There is legit NO REASON to do that to someone, especially if you know he likes you! Screw your career! Be a caring human being for once and stop thinking about yourself! God dang it, I’m so mad, lol! 😂 I did not like Love at all, as you can tell. She played the victim, and I hate when characters do that. Like, cry me a river, girl. There are a million other people in the world who are dealing with actual problems in their lives. Go touch grass, for Pete's sake. 🤦♀🙄
Am I being rude? Good grief, I am. Let me take another deep breath and try to be diplomatic.
Okay, another thing I had a problem with was the plot. Look, I get that backstory is needed to understand how a character arrived at a certain point in their life. I am a huge fan of backstory, but I feel like the road to Love’s fame was completely unnecessary. I wanted her chapters to end and get on with the story because, honey, it DRAGGED. I was honestly more interested in Austin’s side of the story than Love’s. I mean, sure, it was interesting, but there was just too much going on for me to stay interested. And the romance was not romancing…at all. It just wasn't cute, and I was not rooting for Austin and Love to get together. If anything, I was yelling at Austin to run for his dear life because he deserves someone better.
You know what? Let’s move on from the negativity and discuss what I did like about the book, which was Austin, his family, and friends. Austin, my guy, you are too sweet for your own good. Is it possible for someone to be too sweet? I don’t know if a guy like him even exists because he just sounds too good to be true. Granted, he needed to have more self-confidence and assert himself, but that’s something that can be developed by habit and practice. Ugh, but he really was the sweetest, and I hated the people who took advantage of him or were jerks to him! 😭 But I do think his pining was kinda annoying and illogical. He barely knew Love, and he was already in love? Nah, that doesn’t make any sense, buddy. How about you get to know her first and let her get to know you before you give your heart to someone who already broke it before? Anyway, Zoe, Austin’s little sister, was so funny! I loved her! And his mom was super cool and supportive, along with his friends. They are the reason I added the extra .75 to my 2 stars.
Well, I was hoping I would enjoy this book more, but alas, I did not. Did I hate it? No, but I certainly didn’t like it either. I don’t know if I could recommend it or not, but if you want to give this book a try, then I hope you enjoy it more than I did! ☺💛
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Mentions driving while under the influence and getting into an accident.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–only kissing and a fade to black scene. (🌶/5)
After going viral for dancing on her teacher to help out her friend, Love Thompson’s dreams have finally come true. She has millions of followers, lives in L.A., and has a hot, famous boyfriend. Sure, she isn’t making her own music as she hoped, but that’ll come later, right? All she has to do is make her fans happy, and she’ll get what she wants. But when she takes the blame for her boyfriend’s mistake, she finds herself not only canceled, but losing millions of her followers because of her now tainted reputation. Love needs to save face fast, and the only way she can think of saving her career is if she goes back to her small-town roots and “falls in love” with a sweet guy that she might already have feelings for.
Enter Austin Grey. Life couldn’t be any harder on him. His beloved father is dead, a girl he loves breaks his heart, and the diner his father ran is in danger of closing down. Any dreams he has are put on hold to help out his mom and sister and to keep his dad’s dream alive. So when a run-in with Love leads to her messaging him and staying with him and his family. Maybe his broken heart can be put together again.
Don’t be mean, Sarah. Don’t be mean. Just take a deep breath in…and a deep breath out.
I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start off by saying that the other reviews that are three stars and lower are true. The ending was so abrupt and not at all satisfying. The writing was just too YA for me. I was even laughing at how ridiculous the OMGs, trusts, and other slang words sounded. Don’t get me wrong–the writing wasn’t bad. It was just not for me. I know this is intended for teens, but if you market this as something perfect for Lynn Painter fans who are also adults, then I think you need to edit some words out because I’m pretty sure Painter’s books aren’t as ridiculously YA as this is. But, then again, I wouldn’t know because I haven’t read a Lynn Painter book yet, so maybe I’m just spewing out nonsense. Either way, I didn’t like it. 😅
Now, let’s talk about Love. First of all, I am tired of the so-called “unique” names of characters nowadays. Really? Love? I swear, I’m trying not to be rude, but Love is the first choice you have to use? It would be fine as a stage name or whatever, but as a given name? I honestly cringed every time Love’s name was used. And it’s not only her name I have a problem with. It’s her selfishness. Did she honestly think that her plan to use Austin was a good one, let alone a moral one? I’m not the biggest fan of celebrities, and she is the reason why. There is legit NO REASON to do that to someone, especially if you know he likes you! Screw your career! Be a caring human being for once and stop thinking about yourself! God dang it, I’m so mad, lol! 😂 I did not like Love at all, as you can tell. She played the victim, and I hate when characters do that. Like, cry me a river, girl. There are a million other people in the world who are dealing with actual problems in their lives. Go touch grass, for Pete's sake. 🤦♀🙄
Am I being rude? Good grief, I am. Let me take another deep breath and try to be diplomatic.
Okay, another thing I had a problem with was the plot. Look, I get that backstory is needed to understand how a character arrived at a certain point in their life. I am a huge fan of backstory, but I feel like the road to Love’s fame was completely unnecessary. I wanted her chapters to end and get on with the story because, honey, it DRAGGED. I was honestly more interested in Austin’s side of the story than Love’s. I mean, sure, it was interesting, but there was just too much going on for me to stay interested. And the romance was not romancing…at all. It just wasn't cute, and I was not rooting for Austin and Love to get together. If anything, I was yelling at Austin to run for his dear life because he deserves someone better.
You know what? Let’s move on from the negativity and discuss what I did like about the book, which was Austin, his family, and friends. Austin, my guy, you are too sweet for your own good. Is it possible for someone to be too sweet? I don’t know if a guy like him even exists because he just sounds too good to be true. Granted, he needed to have more self-confidence and assert himself, but that’s something that can be developed by habit and practice. Ugh, but he really was the sweetest, and I hated the people who took advantage of him or were jerks to him! 😭 But I do think his pining was kinda annoying and illogical. He barely knew Love, and he was already in love? Nah, that doesn’t make any sense, buddy. How about you get to know her first and let her get to know you before you give your heart to someone who already broke it before? Anyway, Zoe, Austin’s little sister, was so funny! I loved her! And his mom was super cool and supportive, along with his friends. They are the reason I added the extra .75 to my 2 stars.
Well, I was hoping I would enjoy this book more, but alas, I did not. Did I hate it? No, but I certainly didn’t like it either. I don’t know if I could recommend it or not, but if you want to give this book a try, then I hope you enjoy it more than I did! ☺💛
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Mentions driving while under the influence and getting into an accident.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–only kissing and a fade to black scene. (🌶/5)
January 7, 2026
જ⁀➴ 1 star
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Camille Stochitch, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Love Goes Viral is out now!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
No. This was not it. I'm not going to lie, this book reminded me why I don't read YA romance or anything YA contemporary fiction-related anymore. If I had to describe the book in one word, it would be cringe.
Love Thompson's biggest dream is to make it out of her small hometown in Texas, one TikTok dancing video at a time. She wants to prove everyone wrong and make it big. When her best friend gets embarrassed on the day of their high school graduation, Love comes to the rescue in an attempt to save her, and in that moment, she becomes a viral, overnight sensation on social media. Knowing that her fifteen minutes of fame have arrived, she flies out to LA to get signed with an agent and enters a life of fame, fortune, and popularity. Enter Austin Grey, whom she falls into (literally) after a stunt goes wrong. He's battling his own demons, but after meeting Love, he starts to see the real side of her when the cameras are off. When Love reaches out to Austin after she takes the fall for something she didn't do and needs to fly under the radar, will they fall in love, or will their relationship fizzle out before it can even begin?
Now, going into this, I tried to put my perspective as a 25-year-old who's been out of high school for almost a decade at this point aside and try to think about whether or not high school me, or anyone else high-school-aged, would like this book. I'm trying SO hard to be constructive here without sounding snarky, but I feel like even a YA-aged audience with more than two brain cells could see how bad this was.
First off, let's start with all the pop culture references. I feel like the book was trying way too hard to pander to a TikTok-obsessed, social-media-obsessed YA audience and the authors threw in as many pop culture references as possible. You had references to TikTok, IG, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, UGG slippers, Air Force sneakers, and these are just the ones that I remember off the top of my head. Granted, Love is a teenage social media star, but this was wayyy over the top. Not to mention all of the Gen Z/Gen Alpha slang that was thrown all throughout the book. You had words like "lit," "bruh," and the characters would even say things like "LOL" and "NBD" out loud. Like, these words were literally on the page.
Going into the characters:
‧₊˚♪ Love: She's probably the most annoying character I've ever read about in a YA book. Ever. She was constantly on her phone while she was with Austin—granted, it's part of her job, but jeez, you can't put your phone down for like, an hour to hang out with him?—and by the end of the book, I felt like she had a stronger relationship with her phone than Austin. She's single-handedly the reason why I felt like she had zero chemistry with Austin whatsoever. Also, let's not forget the fact that she took the fall for a mistake that she didn't even make for her influencer boyfriend, Damien, who is literally a POS. I read that part and immediately said, "Don't do X" and then she did it anyway! I would've let him suffer the consequences of his actions because he's THAT horrible of a person, not to mention that his stage name is "Lil' D." Yes, you read that right. Lil' D.
For someone named Love, she doesn't know what love is, even if it slapped her in the face. I felt like she was stringing Austin along the entire time, and she cared more about her social media and her public standing than creating and building a relationship with him. Sure, there were some really cute, wholesome moments, but I feel like all of that got canceled out by the way she treated him like he was a second option to her career.
‧₊˚♪ Austin: He doesn't deserve Love. I don't mean the concept of love, I mean the character. Austin is the definition of a hopeless romantic, and I can see why he is the way he is. He's hardworking, strong, and will do anything he can for the people he loves and cares about. When he falls for someone, he falls for them hard, and we can see how that affected his relationship with Love. He's not a bad love interest, Love is, in my opinion. No notes on him other than he deserves better.
Now...onto the ending of the story. This was probably the most rushed ending to a story I've ever read. It didn't make the story feel complete, it didn't make it seem like Love and Austin liked each other, and I wasn't fully convinced that they would have their HEA after the last page. The ending was also so chaotic and random, and it just made zero sense to me why they ended it that way.
The only thing I gave this book a star for is how it shows the "dark" side and the downside of becoming famous. It doesn't show anything that I feel like most of the general public already knows, but I'm glad that the authors didn't shy away from Love suffering the actions of her consequences and showing that even though she's famous, she's not invulnerable to punishment and how her actions can hurt the people around her.
Overall, I would recommend this to a VERY young YA audience, maybe like a YA audience that's growing out of the middle grade genre but isn't at the point yet where they're fully reading YA yet. I liked the themes of the dark side of fame and how everything you do has a consequence, but I feel like anyone over the age of, like, 15 or 16 will downright see that the book is cringy. This wasn't the book for me, but I'm hoping that this book finds its audience.
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
Trigger/content warnings: language, one fade-to-black, closed door scene, recounted death of a family member
⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ There's just something about a new year that makes me want to tackle my TBR and read as many books as I can. I don't know, this is my fourth book in 5 days of 2026, and I know I probably won't be able to keep up this momentum for long, but dang it, I'm going to try! This is giving me like, Hannah Montana movie vibes and that's pretty much why I requested it haha. (If you know, you know.)
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Camille Stochitch, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Love Goes Viral is out now!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
No. This was not it. I'm not going to lie, this book reminded me why I don't read YA romance or anything YA contemporary fiction-related anymore. If I had to describe the book in one word, it would be cringe.
Love Thompson's biggest dream is to make it out of her small hometown in Texas, one TikTok dancing video at a time. She wants to prove everyone wrong and make it big. When her best friend gets embarrassed on the day of their high school graduation, Love comes to the rescue in an attempt to save her, and in that moment, she becomes a viral, overnight sensation on social media. Knowing that her fifteen minutes of fame have arrived, she flies out to LA to get signed with an agent and enters a life of fame, fortune, and popularity. Enter Austin Grey, whom she falls into (literally) after a stunt goes wrong. He's battling his own demons, but after meeting Love, he starts to see the real side of her when the cameras are off. When Love reaches out to Austin after she takes the fall for something she didn't do and needs to fly under the radar, will they fall in love, or will their relationship fizzle out before it can even begin?
Now, going into this, I tried to put my perspective as a 25-year-old who's been out of high school for almost a decade at this point aside and try to think about whether or not high school me, or anyone else high-school-aged, would like this book. I'm trying SO hard to be constructive here without sounding snarky, but I feel like even a YA-aged audience with more than two brain cells could see how bad this was.
First off, let's start with all the pop culture references. I feel like the book was trying way too hard to pander to a TikTok-obsessed, social-media-obsessed YA audience and the authors threw in as many pop culture references as possible. You had references to TikTok, IG, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, UGG slippers, Air Force sneakers, and these are just the ones that I remember off the top of my head. Granted, Love is a teenage social media star, but this was wayyy over the top. Not to mention all of the Gen Z/Gen Alpha slang that was thrown all throughout the book. You had words like "lit," "bruh," and the characters would even say things like "LOL" and "NBD" out loud. Like, these words were literally on the page.
Going into the characters:
‧₊˚♪ Love: She's probably the most annoying character I've ever read about in a YA book. Ever. She was constantly on her phone while she was with Austin—granted, it's part of her job, but jeez, you can't put your phone down for like, an hour to hang out with him?—and by the end of the book, I felt like she had a stronger relationship with her phone than Austin. She's single-handedly the reason why I felt like she had zero chemistry with Austin whatsoever. Also, let's not forget the fact that she took the fall for a mistake that she didn't even make for her influencer boyfriend, Damien, who is literally a POS. I read that part and immediately said, "Don't do X" and then she did it anyway! I would've let him suffer the consequences of his actions because he's THAT horrible of a person, not to mention that his stage name is "Lil' D." Yes, you read that right. Lil' D.
For someone named Love, she doesn't know what love is, even if it slapped her in the face. I felt like she was stringing Austin along the entire time, and she cared more about her social media and her public standing than creating and building a relationship with him. Sure, there were some really cute, wholesome moments, but I feel like all of that got canceled out by the way she treated him like he was a second option to her career.
‧₊˚♪ Austin: He doesn't deserve Love. I don't mean the concept of love, I mean the character. Austin is the definition of a hopeless romantic, and I can see why he is the way he is. He's hardworking, strong, and will do anything he can for the people he loves and cares about. When he falls for someone, he falls for them hard, and we can see how that affected his relationship with Love. He's not a bad love interest, Love is, in my opinion. No notes on him other than he deserves better.
Now...onto the ending of the story. This was probably the most rushed ending to a story I've ever read. It didn't make the story feel complete, it didn't make it seem like Love and Austin liked each other, and I wasn't fully convinced that they would have their HEA after the last page. The ending was also so chaotic and random, and it just made zero sense to me why they ended it that way.
The only thing I gave this book a star for is how it shows the "dark" side and the downside of becoming famous. It doesn't show anything that I feel like most of the general public already knows, but I'm glad that the authors didn't shy away from Love suffering the actions of her consequences and showing that even though she's famous, she's not invulnerable to punishment and how her actions can hurt the people around her.
Overall, I would recommend this to a VERY young YA audience, maybe like a YA audience that's growing out of the middle grade genre but isn't at the point yet where they're fully reading YA yet. I liked the themes of the dark side of fame and how everything you do has a consequence, but I feel like anyone over the age of, like, 15 or 16 will downright see that the book is cringy. This wasn't the book for me, but I'm hoping that this book finds its audience.
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
Trigger/content warnings: language, one fade-to-black, closed door scene, recounted death of a family member
⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ There's just something about a new year that makes me want to tackle my TBR and read as many books as I can. I don't know, this is my fourth book in 5 days of 2026, and I know I probably won't be able to keep up this momentum for long, but dang it, I'm going to try! This is giving me like, Hannah Montana movie vibes and that's pretty much why I requested it haha. (If you know, you know.)
October 14, 2025
I loved this sweet romance written for teens. I was really drawn into the relationship of Love and Austin and was fighting for them the whole way. The switching of perspectives from the two main characters definitely influences how the reader feels about them. I’m so glad the book was written from both perspectives. This book will definitely resonate with teens in many ways from romance, to friendship, the importance of forgiveness, wanting to go viral on social media and so many more things! Thank you for the ARC and I look forward to sharing this book with some of the teens in my classroom. I know this will be a hit with the students who love realistic fiction and romance.
November 5, 2025
What a fun, young adult romance about the downsides of fame and virality. Love goes viral at her high school graduation and is catapulted into fame. But then she gets canceled, and then she gets canceled again. She finds solace in a boy who helps her through a viral moment, but she also uses him to get her fans back. I really liked both of the main characters. This felt like watching a tv show. I do wish the MCs had been flushed out a tad bit more and the romance was cheesy, but I like cheese. I didn’t want to put the book down, so that tells ya something!
October 14, 2025
Such a cute and fun time! It’s difficult to capture internet culture in an accurate and entertaining way, but this book does it, all while weaving in an actually believable love triangle. I love that Love acts her age and all the thoughts and insecurities and feelings she’s experiencing feel real. I also like that Lil D isn’t a caricature or cliche but feels like a lot of the real male artists in the pop world right now (*cough* The Kid LAROI).
December 29, 2025
In a moment to save her friend from embarrassment, Love got recorded and went viral. Her plan went from college to Hollywood straight to Hollywood. She gets a music star boyfriend and 50 million followers. Until she takes the blame for something he did and has ruined her reputation. In order to rehab her reputation, she needs to get back to her roots. Enter Austin Grey. His family owns a diner in a small town, and Love was someone he never expected to hear from again. The plan was to pretend to date Austin, and then when things were better, she’d leave and go back to Hollywood. Only… neither of them expected to feel the way that they do.
This book made me smile and I didn’t want to put it down. There are so many good themes to learn from in this book as well. Going viral is not always what it’s cracked up to be. The constant pressure for content, the need to be on the go, always having to film. It really takes a toll on the person and the people in their lives. No one knows what is real and what is fake. Being in Hollywood as a musician, dancer, etc… is not easy and we see that when Love goes on a mall tour with her boyfriend. Then there’s the introduction to drugs and alcohol.
I think though, that a bigger theme here is to surround yourself with people who have good values and who will be there for you no matter what. That’s what Austin and his family were for Love. Compared to her life, Austin led a simpler life. Not easier, but simpler. The authors were very true to the ages of the characters. Love was insecure and her insecurities were written well. They also write her mistakes well. Someone that young is bound to make mistakes and she definitely made them.
The relationship between Love and Austin was very sweet. Like really, really sweet. Nothing felt rushed or too much. Austin is the type of guy that is willing to do anything for anyone, especially someone that he cares about. Love needed someone like him in her life. And his mom and sister were great side characters too.
While this is a YA book, I do think that anyone can enjoy this one!
This book made me smile and I didn’t want to put it down. There are so many good themes to learn from in this book as well. Going viral is not always what it’s cracked up to be. The constant pressure for content, the need to be on the go, always having to film. It really takes a toll on the person and the people in their lives. No one knows what is real and what is fake. Being in Hollywood as a musician, dancer, etc… is not easy and we see that when Love goes on a mall tour with her boyfriend. Then there’s the introduction to drugs and alcohol.
I think though, that a bigger theme here is to surround yourself with people who have good values and who will be there for you no matter what. That’s what Austin and his family were for Love. Compared to her life, Austin led a simpler life. Not easier, but simpler. The authors were very true to the ages of the characters. Love was insecure and her insecurities were written well. They also write her mistakes well. Someone that young is bound to make mistakes and she definitely made them.
The relationship between Love and Austin was very sweet. Like really, really sweet. Nothing felt rushed or too much. Austin is the type of guy that is willing to do anything for anyone, especially someone that he cares about. Love needed someone like him in her life. And his mom and sister were great side characters too.
While this is a YA book, I do think that anyone can enjoy this one!
January 6, 2026
Audiobook Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5’s
Thank you to the authors @thelaurebit, @camillestochitchwrites, @simonteen and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook.
This debut YA romance completely won me over! 💖 From the very first page, I was hooked by the fake dating plot, celebrity drama, and a swoon-worthy meet-cute. The dual POV made the story even richer, letting us experience the highs and lows from both sides of the love triangle, while the small-town backdrop kept it grounded and heartfelt.
What I loved most was how it tackles contemporary issues with depth and care: the pressures of online fame, the challenges of cancel culture, and learning to define your own worth in a world obsessed with likes and followers. At its core, it’s also a coming-of-age story about pursuing dreams, making amends, and discovering that love, friendship, and forgiveness are just as important as ambition.
The narration by Elena Rey and Michael Crouch was phenomenal—each voice brought the characters to life in a way that made the story even more immersive.
Favorite Quote: “I have waited so long, worked so hard for an opportunity, and now that it’s here, I’m not going to waste it. Now my life finally begins.
Thank you to the authors @thelaurebit, @camillestochitchwrites, @simonteen and @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook.
This debut YA romance completely won me over! 💖 From the very first page, I was hooked by the fake dating plot, celebrity drama, and a swoon-worthy meet-cute. The dual POV made the story even richer, letting us experience the highs and lows from both sides of the love triangle, while the small-town backdrop kept it grounded and heartfelt.
What I loved most was how it tackles contemporary issues with depth and care: the pressures of online fame, the challenges of cancel culture, and learning to define your own worth in a world obsessed with likes and followers. At its core, it’s also a coming-of-age story about pursuing dreams, making amends, and discovering that love, friendship, and forgiveness are just as important as ambition.
The narration by Elena Rey and Michael Crouch was phenomenal—each voice brought the characters to life in a way that made the story even more immersive.
Favorite Quote: “I have waited so long, worked so hard for an opportunity, and now that it’s here, I’m not going to waste it. Now my life finally begins.
January 5, 2026
Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was so fun and so cute! I adored Love. Her ambition, her personality, her ability to try and try again, no matter what happened. She grew so much, and truly developed into a wonderful young woman. I loved her story with Austin. I loved watching Austin become himself again. And honestly? I need a story about Zoe. She was a hoot! It was nice to see young people talk about the effects of social media, going viral, virality, and the fame/how it affects them. It also talked about little about predatory behavior in Hollywood, and it was nice to see. It was nice to see the different familial relationships. I may be an adult who reads YA, but this is such a wonderful story. With some really important themes. It was fantastic!
This was so fun and so cute! I adored Love. Her ambition, her personality, her ability to try and try again, no matter what happened. She grew so much, and truly developed into a wonderful young woman. I loved her story with Austin. I loved watching Austin become himself again. And honestly? I need a story about Zoe. She was a hoot! It was nice to see young people talk about the effects of social media, going viral, virality, and the fame/how it affects them. It also talked about little about predatory behavior in Hollywood, and it was nice to see. It was nice to see the different familial relationships. I may be an adult who reads YA, but this is such a wonderful story. With some really important themes. It was fantastic!
December 21, 2025
Love Thompson ends up going viral and it is the beginning for her. She ends up with a deal and dancing day one for a music video and makes it big. Then her and her boyfriend end up getting into trouble. Now she needs to image rehab. And her Austin, the guy who caught her when she ends up falling while dancing. He is going through some things himself. His father died and now he is trying to keep his fathers diner afloat with his mother and sister. I thought this was a very cute story I really did like it overall. I liked the characters. It showed how people use social media and how people turn on influencers even if a person actually did nothing wrong initially. And that really forward image is everything now a days. I liked Austin and Love’s character . I think Damien was fine but nothing to write home about. I feel he was a typical rockstar type character you see in these type of books.. I think the writing was good and enoyed it in one sitting.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own .
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own .
November 12, 2025
Love Goes Viral is one of the best YA books I've read in a long time! The story is hopeful, humorous, romantic, reflective, and scary all at the same time. The underlying theme is that getting everything we've dreamed of is not all it's cracked up to be. Love, as a senior in high school, comes from a broken home with not many advantages except a courageous spirit, and dreams she feels will never come true. Everyone has their moment when they've had enough of the world's negativity and Love's moment occurs at her high school graduation. A series of events flash by and suddenly, all Love’s dreams are coming true even bigger than she imagined. But what happens when your dreams are not enough? What happens when your "real" life turns fake and you can no longer determine what is reality and what is internet fantasy. This is what Love struggles with in the book and readers will positively ache and identify with her as she makes mistake after mistake trying to figure out this puzzle called Life. This is a book anyone will identify with, whether male or female; young or old. You will smile and you will tear up as you find yourself rooting for Love!
This book will be published on January 6, 2026.
This book will be published on January 6, 2026.
November 4, 2025
Haven't been reading a lot of YA recently, so it was nice to dip my toes back into one of my favorite genres. This was a fun read! It kind of reminded of Spoiled by the FugGirls (which now more than 10 years old!) mostly in the way that it's a fun read that leans into trends of the moment, but has a lot of heart and something to say. I found Love an interesting protagonist and someone you can root for even when she's making all the wrong choices. Her struggles and insecurities felt real. Austin and Love were very cute and enjoyed their romance a lot, very cute!
December 20, 2025
i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book…i won this in a Goodreads giveaway so i definitely wanted to put a review out before it is released.
I want to start with the fact that it is a very cliche romance book. if you’re into that kind of thing then this will be a wonderful book for you. but for me? it was TOO cliche
It was sweet i won’t lie. This is a cute book that gave me secondhand butterflies in my stomach at some points, but I just can’t get over the dialogue. I hope it is edited differently in the final book. There’s a few editing errors but that’s to be expected with a rough draft. There was way too much text talk/dialogue. Many times the characters would say “LOL” instead of just…laughing or saying “in the AM” instead of morning, another example is a character saying “NBD”…and they’re dead serious. like it’s not something major but it definitely made the book less enjoyable for me…just say “no big deal” instead of NBD 😒
Onto the main character: Love
She’s annoying. period. she’s a naive small town girl who just wants a big break and destroys anyone in the process to get her way. So at the beginning of the book you kind of feel bad for her because she’s so naive, and thinks her celebrity crush actually likes her. But, she soon turns vapid..it’s what LA does to people i guess. Now, does she have character development within the LAST FEW CHAPTERS? yes. but still she’s annoying to me for the majority of the book. There was one point in the book where she says Damiens sweat is “sweet”…a man’s sweat? sweet? wtf was she on about fr… and what gets me is that it was HER idea to use Austin!!! She sat there and was calling him sexy to her publicist and said yeah i wanna fake date him because he’s a small town nobody…like she pissed me off bad! I am proud of the character development that happens at the very end of the book, she helped Austin and his diner but idk for me it would’ve been too little too late. She kept popping in and out of his life and just EXPECTED him to take her back…and he did so i mean they’re both to blame for it i guess 🤣
There were soooo many artist mentions such as Chappel Roan, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, etc. it was cute at first but became kind of annoying the more and more it happened…though there was a mention of a cherry vanilla penjamin that had me dying 😭😭😭
NOW ONTO THE LOVE INTEREST: Austin
at first when i was sent this book i forgot the LI name was Austin…I have an ex with that name so i wasn’t sure if i’d like the book or character. turns out, I LOVEEEE HIM. He’s so cute and handsome and ACTUALLY YEARNSSSSS! You can tell a woman wrote this man because I fear he’s actually interesting and my favorite character (besides his sister). If i’m being honest he gave Love WAYYYY too many chances but hey, the book wouldn’t have been interesting otherwise lol I felt sooo bad for him because of the way he’d been treated by Love and just the personal stuff he’d been through. Love really didn’t deserve him but i digress.
Special shoutout to Damien the “rockstar” celebrity boyfriend who let his girlfriend take the heat after he took molly and crashed his car while driving them home. AND left her stranded on a beach, drunk. He’s cringe as hell and honestly just a dumb, irresponsible guy. I couldn’t stand the way the authors wrote his dialogue…but i guess they got the point across.
All this to say that in my personal opinion this book is mediocre. Is it bad? no. but it isn’t amazing either. This book is perfect for tweens, but i feel like once you’re over the age of 21 this book just feels childish. It was so incredibly slow paced, the climax didn’t even happen until the last like 50 pages and the ending felt SO rushed i basically had whiplash. I feel like the ending could have been longer and BETTER if the beginning of the book wasn’t so dragged out.
also missed smut opportunity on page 306 😒😒
I want to start with the fact that it is a very cliche romance book. if you’re into that kind of thing then this will be a wonderful book for you. but for me? it was TOO cliche
It was sweet i won’t lie. This is a cute book that gave me secondhand butterflies in my stomach at some points, but I just can’t get over the dialogue. I hope it is edited differently in the final book. There’s a few editing errors but that’s to be expected with a rough draft. There was way too much text talk/dialogue. Many times the characters would say “LOL” instead of just…laughing or saying “in the AM” instead of morning, another example is a character saying “NBD”…and they’re dead serious. like it’s not something major but it definitely made the book less enjoyable for me…just say “no big deal” instead of NBD 😒
Onto the main character: Love
She’s annoying. period. she’s a naive small town girl who just wants a big break and destroys anyone in the process to get her way. So at the beginning of the book you kind of feel bad for her because she’s so naive, and thinks her celebrity crush actually likes her. But, she soon turns vapid..it’s what LA does to people i guess. Now, does she have character development within the LAST FEW CHAPTERS? yes. but still she’s annoying to me for the majority of the book. There was one point in the book where she says Damiens sweat is “sweet”…a man’s sweat? sweet? wtf was she on about fr… and what gets me is that it was HER idea to use Austin!!! She sat there and was calling him sexy to her publicist and said yeah i wanna fake date him because he’s a small town nobody…like she pissed me off bad! I am proud of the character development that happens at the very end of the book, she helped Austin and his diner but idk for me it would’ve been too little too late. She kept popping in and out of his life and just EXPECTED him to take her back…and he did so i mean they’re both to blame for it i guess 🤣
There were soooo many artist mentions such as Chappel Roan, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, etc. it was cute at first but became kind of annoying the more and more it happened…though there was a mention of a cherry vanilla penjamin that had me dying 😭😭😭
NOW ONTO THE LOVE INTEREST: Austin
at first when i was sent this book i forgot the LI name was Austin…I have an ex with that name so i wasn’t sure if i’d like the book or character. turns out, I LOVEEEE HIM. He’s so cute and handsome and ACTUALLY YEARNSSSSS! You can tell a woman wrote this man because I fear he’s actually interesting and my favorite character (besides his sister). If i’m being honest he gave Love WAYYYY too many chances but hey, the book wouldn’t have been interesting otherwise lol I felt sooo bad for him because of the way he’d been treated by Love and just the personal stuff he’d been through. Love really didn’t deserve him but i digress.
Special shoutout to Damien the “rockstar” celebrity boyfriend who let his girlfriend take the heat after he took molly and crashed his car while driving them home. AND left her stranded on a beach, drunk. He’s cringe as hell and honestly just a dumb, irresponsible guy. I couldn’t stand the way the authors wrote his dialogue…but i guess they got the point across.
All this to say that in my personal opinion this book is mediocre. Is it bad? no. but it isn’t amazing either. This book is perfect for tweens, but i feel like once you’re over the age of 21 this book just feels childish. It was so incredibly slow paced, the climax didn’t even happen until the last like 50 pages and the ending felt SO rushed i basically had whiplash. I feel like the ending could have been longer and BETTER if the beginning of the book wasn’t so dragged out.
also missed smut opportunity on page 306 😒😒
January 9, 2026
3.7 ⭐️
This was ultimately a cute read. I found the plot to be interesting and was invested in seeing if what Love, and small town boy Austin would do with their lives. I had to continually remind myself that this was a YA book as the FMC, Love frustrated me with her decision making. Why take the fall for your man, who is a Nepo baby. He ofc would be ok, but she would have to climb from the bottom up again. I didn’t like the way Love disregarded her family and best friend once the fame it.
Austin was the sweetest MMC and I hated the way he seemed to be let down by the girls who he liked. He was kind and thoughtful and I hated the way Love used him to re-ignite the public’s affections.
I will say, I was happy to see the growth in Love by standing up for herself and her own dreams. I thought at her young age, she needed familial support to help her not get taken advantage of but she was left to her own devices, given her mother being a single mom and needing to take care of Love’s brothers.
I never liked Damien and was glad to see her “wake up”. The only likeable characters in this book was Austin, her sister Zoe, Patty, and Love(mostly lol).
This was ultimately a cute read. I found the plot to be interesting and was invested in seeing if what Love, and small town boy Austin would do with their lives. I had to continually remind myself that this was a YA book as the FMC, Love frustrated me with her decision making. Why take the fall for your man, who is a Nepo baby. He ofc would be ok, but she would have to climb from the bottom up again. I didn’t like the way Love disregarded her family and best friend once the fame it.
Austin was the sweetest MMC and I hated the way he seemed to be let down by the girls who he liked. He was kind and thoughtful and I hated the way Love used him to re-ignite the public’s affections.
I will say, I was happy to see the growth in Love by standing up for herself and her own dreams. I thought at her young age, she needed familial support to help her not get taken advantage of but she was left to her own devices, given her mother being a single mom and needing to take care of Love’s brothers.
I never liked Damien and was glad to see her “wake up”. The only likeable characters in this book was Austin, her sister Zoe, Patty, and Love(mostly lol).
Read
December 29, 2025Love Thompson is a dancer from the suburbs of Austin. Her dream in life is to make it big as a dancer, singer, and songwriter. She has her path figured out college then LA. But when an unexpected video at graduation gets posted of her dancing to save a friend from embarrassment goes viral. Her plans to her becoming famous happen sooner than expected. Love signs with an agent and moves to LA. When she first arrives she meets her famous crush and they begin dating. After about a year in LA, Love and her bf go on tour at random malls to keep their names out there to stay famous and keep their followers. While at their last stop in Chicago she tries something new during her dance and almost pays for it in a bad way. She is rescued by a small town boy named Austin and instantly they felt a connection. Love goes back to LA but can't stop thinking about the boy and the boy cant stop thinking about Love. Things happen and Love starts losing followers in a bad way. To make things right and turn things around she heads back to Chicago to be with Austin, her hero. Their connection grows but lots of factors are in the way of them being together. Read the book to find out if they end up together or fame gets in the way.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars
January 6, 2026
Review based on rdg a print arc from Simon & Schuster:
Love Thompson has been focusing on dance and her music since she was very young and her single mom has sacrificed a great deal in order to support her daughter’s dreams. An impromptu dance on her graduation stage done to divert attention away from her best friend who falls victim to a cruel prank goes viral on social media and suddenly Love is thrust into the very fake, very capricious world of show biz in Los Angeles, California, far away from her small town in Texas. A whirlwind of promotion orchestrated by manager Chris puts Love into the arms of the much-admired performer Lil D/Damien and for a year, she rides the wave of popularity, never quite realizing her personal goal of writing and performing her own songs. But a mistake turns deadly as far as her social media presence and popularity plummets and she is “canceled.” Trying to turn her reputation around, she ends up outside Chicago with Austin, a clean cut hunk met at a mall pop up performance, and with Chris’ guidance, recovers and is back on top but at the expense of her heart as well as hurting him deeply. Back to old haunts and habits, Love falls into the same pattern of parties and faking her every online move with disastrous results again. And so the book goes until the authors tie up the romance portion neatly and supposedly, Love and Austin discover who they are and what they want and everyone is happy.
Teens are likely to understand all the ins and outs of the social media that places such a critical role in Love’s ups and downs and will be rooting for Love and Austin. In fact, many in the target high school, romance-loving audience will probably love this book. More mature teens will probably be disgusted by all of Love’s “poor little me” whining and the way she allows herself to be manipulated and then turns around and manipulates others. Her mother and best friend Patty are the truest parts of her life and yet she pushes them aside regularly and then is shocked when they eventually stop dropping everything to come to her rescue. While it works for the book’s story, it is also highly doubtful that in real life, Austin’s widowed mother and 12 year old sister would continue to take in spoiled wanna be star time after time, either. Lots of reality must be pushed aside for this romance to be enjoyed, i.e. falling from a second floor railing and being caught by a random teen on the next level down, jumping from the roof of a diner and being caught by the same, passing out on a California beach and only having rude things drawn on your face instead of being raped, robbed, or killed, both riders surviving a high speed crash caused by a strung out and drunk driver on a curving highway…so many unlikely scenarios.
All that to say, readers who want to suspend reality and for love to triumph over deception and incredible selfishness will love the happily ever after ending. Those who want a more realistic look at romance will probably stop reading just after Love decides to use hard-working, family-focused Austin to rebuild her image.
*Target audience: high school
*Profanity: steady use of minor profanity with more than a dozen F-bombs dropped, including 1 by the 12 year old sister
*Violence: very little
*Sexual content: lots of bumping and grinding detailed in the dance moves, implied sexual relationship between Love & Damien, a fade to black sexual encounter between Love & Austin but no graphic details; plenty of kissing
*Drug/alcohol use: a big part of the Los Angeles celebrity scene and probably underage Damien is a heavy drinker and takes a Molly once; 19 year old Love avoids alcohol until one time when she ends up passed out on the beach
*Representation: Austin’s mom is a widowed, single mom; Love’s dad has been in/out of her life depending on his sobriety; Love and Austin’s families struggled financially while Patty’s was wealthy; Chris is Black but races of other characters are indeterminate
*LBGTQ+: none specifically noted
Love Thompson has been focusing on dance and her music since she was very young and her single mom has sacrificed a great deal in order to support her daughter’s dreams. An impromptu dance on her graduation stage done to divert attention away from her best friend who falls victim to a cruel prank goes viral on social media and suddenly Love is thrust into the very fake, very capricious world of show biz in Los Angeles, California, far away from her small town in Texas. A whirlwind of promotion orchestrated by manager Chris puts Love into the arms of the much-admired performer Lil D/Damien and for a year, she rides the wave of popularity, never quite realizing her personal goal of writing and performing her own songs. But a mistake turns deadly as far as her social media presence and popularity plummets and she is “canceled.” Trying to turn her reputation around, she ends up outside Chicago with Austin, a clean cut hunk met at a mall pop up performance, and with Chris’ guidance, recovers and is back on top but at the expense of her heart as well as hurting him deeply. Back to old haunts and habits, Love falls into the same pattern of parties and faking her every online move with disastrous results again. And so the book goes until the authors tie up the romance portion neatly and supposedly, Love and Austin discover who they are and what they want and everyone is happy.
Teens are likely to understand all the ins and outs of the social media that places such a critical role in Love’s ups and downs and will be rooting for Love and Austin. In fact, many in the target high school, romance-loving audience will probably love this book. More mature teens will probably be disgusted by all of Love’s “poor little me” whining and the way she allows herself to be manipulated and then turns around and manipulates others. Her mother and best friend Patty are the truest parts of her life and yet she pushes them aside regularly and then is shocked when they eventually stop dropping everything to come to her rescue. While it works for the book’s story, it is also highly doubtful that in real life, Austin’s widowed mother and 12 year old sister would continue to take in spoiled wanna be star time after time, either. Lots of reality must be pushed aside for this romance to be enjoyed, i.e. falling from a second floor railing and being caught by a random teen on the next level down, jumping from the roof of a diner and being caught by the same, passing out on a California beach and only having rude things drawn on your face instead of being raped, robbed, or killed, both riders surviving a high speed crash caused by a strung out and drunk driver on a curving highway…so many unlikely scenarios.
All that to say, readers who want to suspend reality and for love to triumph over deception and incredible selfishness will love the happily ever after ending. Those who want a more realistic look at romance will probably stop reading just after Love decides to use hard-working, family-focused Austin to rebuild her image.
*Target audience: high school
*Profanity: steady use of minor profanity with more than a dozen F-bombs dropped, including 1 by the 12 year old sister
*Violence: very little
*Sexual content: lots of bumping and grinding detailed in the dance moves, implied sexual relationship between Love & Damien, a fade to black sexual encounter between Love & Austin but no graphic details; plenty of kissing
*Drug/alcohol use: a big part of the Los Angeles celebrity scene and probably underage Damien is a heavy drinker and takes a Molly once; 19 year old Love avoids alcohol until one time when she ends up passed out on the beach
*Representation: Austin’s mom is a widowed, single mom; Love’s dad has been in/out of her life depending on his sobriety; Love and Austin’s families struggled financially while Patty’s was wealthy; Chris is Black but races of other characters are indeterminate
*LBGTQ+: none specifically noted
January 6, 2026
This was a really strong YA romance / coming-of-age story that takes a thoughtful look at fame, cancellation, second chances, and figuring out who you are when the internet thinks it knows you.
🎤 Love Thompson dreams of being a singer. When she helps a friend, she unexpectedly goes viral—and suddenly her life spirals into influencer fame, a famous boyfriend, a “career,” and millions of followers. When she takes the blame for something she didn’t do, she’s quickly canceled and forced to confront how much of herself she’s lost along the way.
🍔 Austin is an 18-year-old trying to keep his family’s diner afloat after his father’s death, putting his own college dreams on hold. When Love and Austin reconnect, sparks fly—and Austin helps Love try to rebuild her image and reclaim her voice.
I absolutely loved Austin. He’s sweet, honest, hardworking, and constantly putting others before himself. My heart broke for him as two different girls treated him poorly—he deserved so much better. His sister Zoe was my favorite character—smart, grounded, and the glue that holds everything together.
The reason this was 4 stars instead of 5: I didn’t love Love for a good portion of the book. She’s often self-absorbed and frustrating, and while her past explains a lot, she still hurts genuinely good people. I did come back around to her by the end—but it took time.
✨ Themes I really appreciated:
The pressure of online fame
Not letting others define your worth
Going after your dreams
Making amends when you’re wrong
The importance of second chances
Overall, this is a well-written, relevant YA story with heart, growth, and a lot to say—especially for teens navigating identity in a social-media-driven world.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🎤 Love Thompson dreams of being a singer. When she helps a friend, she unexpectedly goes viral—and suddenly her life spirals into influencer fame, a famous boyfriend, a “career,” and millions of followers. When she takes the blame for something she didn’t do, she’s quickly canceled and forced to confront how much of herself she’s lost along the way.
🍔 Austin is an 18-year-old trying to keep his family’s diner afloat after his father’s death, putting his own college dreams on hold. When Love and Austin reconnect, sparks fly—and Austin helps Love try to rebuild her image and reclaim her voice.
I absolutely loved Austin. He’s sweet, honest, hardworking, and constantly putting others before himself. My heart broke for him as two different girls treated him poorly—he deserved so much better. His sister Zoe was my favorite character—smart, grounded, and the glue that holds everything together.
The reason this was 4 stars instead of 5: I didn’t love Love for a good portion of the book. She’s often self-absorbed and frustrating, and while her past explains a lot, she still hurts genuinely good people. I did come back around to her by the end—but it took time.
✨ Themes I really appreciated:
The pressure of online fame
Not letting others define your worth
Going after your dreams
Making amends when you’re wrong
The importance of second chances
Overall, this is a well-written, relevant YA story with heart, growth, and a lot to say—especially for teens navigating identity in a social-media-driven world.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC review - thank you Simon & Schuster for the early access!
So, I read this on a whim because of an e-mail and wasn't sure what I was getting into, but knew that the plot itself sounded fairly interesting - and interesting it was. It started off a bit rough for me, only because I'm not super into the TikTok influencer culture nowadays, so it kind of was a learning curve for me to reacclimatize myself to the kinds of content that teenagers are into. Some parts made me sit there and stare at my screen, wondering if this really was it for some people, but as I reflected on the nature of social media, I realized that a lot of this is probably relatively true for some influencers.
All that to say, I thought both characters - Love and Austin - were dynamic in their own way, but I'd be lying if I said that Austin wasn't a more preferable POV for me. I just liked how his motivations and approach were a lot more meaningful. I liked that he held himself to a good standard and was viewed that way by friends and family. He was just a very likeable character in a way that not a lot of teenage boys are. Now, I thought Love was a dynamic character, but there were some parts where I did actually get lowkey angry at her for some of the choices she made when she was in her more influencer side, rather than the "real" Love that existed.
Overall, this book was genuinely interesting. It read a lot better than I expected and had the fun you expect in a YA novel with some deeper themes. You kind of expect what may happen next, but when it does happen, you're still kind of surprised by it (I know I was at some parts). I think that it has a lot of potential to be a good YA/teen read and would've definitely been something that the middle school/high school me would've enjoyed.
So, I read this on a whim because of an e-mail and wasn't sure what I was getting into, but knew that the plot itself sounded fairly interesting - and interesting it was. It started off a bit rough for me, only because I'm not super into the TikTok influencer culture nowadays, so it kind of was a learning curve for me to reacclimatize myself to the kinds of content that teenagers are into. Some parts made me sit there and stare at my screen, wondering if this really was it for some people, but as I reflected on the nature of social media, I realized that a lot of this is probably relatively true for some influencers.
All that to say, I thought both characters - Love and Austin - were dynamic in their own way, but I'd be lying if I said that Austin wasn't a more preferable POV for me. I just liked how his motivations and approach were a lot more meaningful. I liked that he held himself to a good standard and was viewed that way by friends and family. He was just a very likeable character in a way that not a lot of teenage boys are. Now, I thought Love was a dynamic character, but there were some parts where I did actually get lowkey angry at her for some of the choices she made when she was in her more influencer side, rather than the "real" Love that existed.
Overall, this book was genuinely interesting. It read a lot better than I expected and had the fun you expect in a YA novel with some deeper themes. You kind of expect what may happen next, but when it does happen, you're still kind of surprised by it (I know I was at some parts). I think that it has a lot of potential to be a good YA/teen read and would've definitely been something that the middle school/high school me would've enjoyed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and @SimonandSchuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Love Goes Viral was a really fun mix of fake dating, fame fallout, and the small town vibes that I love. It takes a familiar setup and gives it a fresh, modern twist by leaning into influencer culture and how quickly the internet can build someone up and tear them down.
Love is messy, flawed, and very human. Watching her deal with the consequences of going viral and losing everything just as fast felt surprisingly grounded. Austin was such a great contrast to her world. He is steady, kind, and rooted in a life that feels real and uncomplicated. Their connection felt natural, even knowing it started as a plan to fix her image.
What I liked most was how the story explored identity and pressure. Love is constantly trying to be what the internet wants her to be, while Austin is just trying to hold onto the things that matter to him. Their relationship was way more interesting because the version they showed online was nothing like what was actually going on between them.
If you enjoy fake relationships, small town romance, and stories that dig into the cost of fame and the risk of choosing something real, Love Goes Viral is definitely the book for you.
Coming Out on January the 6th!
4.25 Stars!
#LoveGoesViral, #FakeRelationship, #SmallTownRomance, #SimonandSchuster, #CamilleStochitch, #AlexanderBerman, #EstelleLaure
Love Goes Viral was a really fun mix of fake dating, fame fallout, and the small town vibes that I love. It takes a familiar setup and gives it a fresh, modern twist by leaning into influencer culture and how quickly the internet can build someone up and tear them down.
Love is messy, flawed, and very human. Watching her deal with the consequences of going viral and losing everything just as fast felt surprisingly grounded. Austin was such a great contrast to her world. He is steady, kind, and rooted in a life that feels real and uncomplicated. Their connection felt natural, even knowing it started as a plan to fix her image.
What I liked most was how the story explored identity and pressure. Love is constantly trying to be what the internet wants her to be, while Austin is just trying to hold onto the things that matter to him. Their relationship was way more interesting because the version they showed online was nothing like what was actually going on between them.
If you enjoy fake relationships, small town romance, and stories that dig into the cost of fame and the risk of choosing something real, Love Goes Viral is definitely the book for you.
Coming Out on January the 6th!
4.25 Stars!
#LoveGoesViral, #FakeRelationship, #SmallTownRomance, #SimonandSchuster, #CamilleStochitch, #AlexanderBerman, #EstelleLaure
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A huge shoutout to @camillastochitchwrites, @thelaurebit, Alexander Berman, and @simonteen #simonteeninfluencer for the amazing #gifted book, and a special thanks to @simon.audio for the lovely #gifted audiobook!
This book is a delightful gem in the realm of teen romance. It beautifully captures the whirlwind of internet fame and how fleeting it can be with fans. At its heart, it conveys a powerful message about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who embody strong values and will stand by you through thick and thin. That’s exactly what Austin and his family represented for Love.
One of the aspects I cherished most was the exploration of who truly supports you when life hits rock bottom. Love is constantly trying to mold herself into what the internet expects, while Austin is steadfastly focused on holding onto his family’s legacy. Their relationship unfolds in such a heartwarming way, and I found myself cheering them on every step of the journey!
Told from the perspectives of both Austin and Love, I loved getting insight into their thoughts as the story progressed. The narrators truly brought the characters to life, each with their own unique voice that made the experience even more immersive.
If you’re a fan of sweet YA romance, mark your calendars for January 6, 2026, this is one you won’t want to miss!
This book is a delightful gem in the realm of teen romance. It beautifully captures the whirlwind of internet fame and how fleeting it can be with fans. At its heart, it conveys a powerful message about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who embody strong values and will stand by you through thick and thin. That’s exactly what Austin and his family represented for Love.
One of the aspects I cherished most was the exploration of who truly supports you when life hits rock bottom. Love is constantly trying to mold herself into what the internet expects, while Austin is steadfastly focused on holding onto his family’s legacy. Their relationship unfolds in such a heartwarming way, and I found myself cheering them on every step of the journey!
Told from the perspectives of both Austin and Love, I loved getting insight into their thoughts as the story progressed. The narrators truly brought the characters to life, each with their own unique voice that made the experience even more immersive.
If you’re a fan of sweet YA romance, mark your calendars for January 6, 2026, this is one you won’t want to miss!
December 31, 2025
What happens when your entire life becomes content? Love Goes Viral explores the highs and lows of internet fame through a fake-dating romance with unexpected consequences.
While the premise was intriguing, especially the way the story shows how quickly fame can build someone up and tear them down. I struggled to feel a real romantic connection between Love and Austin. The book leaned very YA in tone, and I often felt like Love wasn’t genuinely interested in Austin, which made the romance feel one-sided and hard to root for.
That said, I did enjoy the commentary on influencer culture and how easily someone can lose themselves when their life becomes content. Watching Love navigate the aftermath of going viral and the pressure to “fix” her image was the most compelling part of the story.
Austin’s character was grounded and likable, and his little sister absolutely stole the show. While the romance didn’t fully click for me, the exploration of fame and self-worth kept me turning the pages
While the premise was intriguing, especially the way the story shows how quickly fame can build someone up and tear them down. I struggled to feel a real romantic connection between Love and Austin. The book leaned very YA in tone, and I often felt like Love wasn’t genuinely interested in Austin, which made the romance feel one-sided and hard to root for.
That said, I did enjoy the commentary on influencer culture and how easily someone can lose themselves when their life becomes content. Watching Love navigate the aftermath of going viral and the pressure to “fix” her image was the most compelling part of the story.
Austin’s character was grounded and likable, and his little sister absolutely stole the show. While the romance didn’t fully click for me, the exploration of fame and self-worth kept me turning the pages
October 26, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the digital ARC!
Slightly corny with the brand and celeb name drops along with character names like Love, Forest, River, Love being from Austin and her soulmate being named Austin but the story was still a fun concept! I feel like I've read a few pop star books with older characters so it was cool to see something toned down for the YA genre. And how living in the spotlight for a young person might be like with social media being such a big part of the job.
I was confused age wise because everyone felt older than they actually were. Not sure if some actions like drinking or partying or drugs are a result of me being out of touch with the generation or the story having such a celeb focused view, but sometimes it felt out of place considering everyone was high school or younger.
The plot was repetitive to the point that I wanted it to end but then ending felt super rushed with the way things wrapped up in the last like three pages. It didn't give room to let the characters fully learn and grow from their mistakes/issues so I'm disappointed we didn't get more time with the resolution because I feel like it could've made the story feel stronger.
Slightly corny with the brand and celeb name drops along with character names like Love, Forest, River, Love being from Austin and her soulmate being named Austin but the story was still a fun concept! I feel like I've read a few pop star books with older characters so it was cool to see something toned down for the YA genre. And how living in the spotlight for a young person might be like with social media being such a big part of the job.
I was confused age wise because everyone felt older than they actually were. Not sure if some actions like drinking or partying or drugs are a result of me being out of touch with the generation or the story having such a celeb focused view, but sometimes it felt out of place considering everyone was high school or younger.
The plot was repetitive to the point that I wanted it to end but then ending felt super rushed with the way things wrapped up in the last like three pages. It didn't give room to let the characters fully learn and grow from their mistakes/issues so I'm disappointed we didn't get more time with the resolution because I feel like it could've made the story feel stronger.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a great representation not only of the dreams of making it big but also of its downfalls. Love Thompson goes viral, is thrust into the spotlight, and finds fame and followers. Despite it all, she is losing a part of herself, but a boy that she happened to cross paths with just might save her. This was a sweet but angsty young love story. It was realistic in that Love was overwhelmed and had to grow up a little to understand what life is truly about, including family, forgiveness, and true love. Austin was a great character, dedicated to his family and too kind for his own good, so his heart gets used as a punching bag, but he is also wise beyond his years.
Thank you to @simon.audio and @librofm for the gifted audiobook narrated by Elena Ray and Michael Crouch. A fantastic way to experience this book!
Thank you to @Simonteen for the gifted book.
3.5 🌟
Thank you to @simon.audio and @librofm for the gifted audiobook narrated by Elena Ray and Michael Crouch. A fantastic way to experience this book!
Thank you to @Simonteen for the gifted book.
3.5 🌟
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Simon Teen for the gifted eARC and physical ARC.
Love Goes Viral had a cute beginning. Love goes viral after a video of her dancing at her high school graduation, and she is immediately flown to LA to capitalize on her fame by becoming a social media star. She meets Austin while on tour…when she literally falls into his arms. My hopes were so high.
Austin is seriously one of the sweetest characters, almost too sweet. He gets walked all over and used by Love. Love, who pretends to date him (while still in a relationship with the other social media star) just to rejuvenate her image. It just…gave me the ick.
While she does grand gesture him towards the end, it felt like too little too late, and I was missing the genuine apology that felt less like a spectacle. Overall, a story with promise but didn’t quite hit the mark.
Love Goes Viral had a cute beginning. Love goes viral after a video of her dancing at her high school graduation, and she is immediately flown to LA to capitalize on her fame by becoming a social media star. She meets Austin while on tour…when she literally falls into his arms. My hopes were so high.
Austin is seriously one of the sweetest characters, almost too sweet. He gets walked all over and used by Love. Love, who pretends to date him (while still in a relationship with the other social media star) just to rejuvenate her image. It just…gave me the ick.
While she does grand gesture him towards the end, it felt like too little too late, and I was missing the genuine apology that felt less like a spectacle. Overall, a story with promise but didn’t quite hit the mark.
January 6, 2026
Love Goes Viral is one of those books that I have mixed feelings of. The concept of it was cute, but the ending fell flat for me.
This YA romance focuses on Love, just freshly graduated from high school, and her journey as she becomes famous by going viral overnight. She all of a sudden has everything she could wish for and starts dating her famous crush, but then she’s suddenly becoming cancelled for trying to fix his mistake. It really highlights so much of the influencer and social media landscape, and shows just how complicated it can really be.
I think this book will be great for teens who need a quick read and are looking for something relatable. With how pivotal social media is in today’s age, I feel that a lot of teens will be able to put themselves in the character’s shoes.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book for a review.
This YA romance focuses on Love, just freshly graduated from high school, and her journey as she becomes famous by going viral overnight. She all of a sudden has everything she could wish for and starts dating her famous crush, but then she’s suddenly becoming cancelled for trying to fix his mistake. It really highlights so much of the influencer and social media landscape, and shows just how complicated it can really be.
I think this book will be great for teens who need a quick read and are looking for something relatable. With how pivotal social media is in today’s age, I feel that a lot of teens will be able to put themselves in the character’s shoes.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book for a review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a YA romance about a girl who is graduating high school and wants to be a dancer/singer. She goes viral overnight and becomes famous. She then moves to LA, starts dating her famous crush, and a year later we find her covering for a mistake he made and getting cancelled. To clean up her image, she starts dating a small town boy that she crossed paths with recently when he saved her from a fall. I found this book to be extremely predictable. In my opinion, it was very cliche and a concept that is overdone, so there was nothing original. I just did not connect to the characters at all and had to force myself to finish. This book was just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book reminded me why I love YA romance. It was truly addictive, While at times slightly ridiculous, I read it in a day and found myself smiling the entire time. There's something special about this book -- on the surface, it's a cute, YA romance, but when you sit back you realize it really does shed light and create reflection on social media, influencer culture, and insecurities. It was so much more than what I was expecting, and I'm so glad I picked up this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! Expected publication is 1/6/2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! Expected publication is 1/6/2026.
December 10, 2025
Love Goes Viral is a sweet YA rom com. Thank you to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC. I’ll admit it, I wanted to strangle the FMC for most of the novel. She’s relatable, but frustrating. The MMC is a complete cinnamon roll, but I wanted him to stand up for himself more. The characters do grow, and the little sister is a dynamo. It was an enjoyable read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a fun book! I absolutely love the way that the authors weave the character storylines through from the first page to the last. I won’t give away any details, but if you are looking for a book that you can lose yourself in, in a good way, you need to read Love Goes Viral. It’s the perfect read, and you’ll be surprised at how it unfolds!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love me a pop star and a small town boy love story, but i wish it was different than the usual “save the place” type of story, like went a little deeper. Also, the ending had some loose ends, I wish there was a little more. I enjoyed the beginning half more than the later half. Enjoyable, quick romance.
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