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Keeping Up Appearances
Three's a crowd, but four's a war.
Big girl undies? Check.
Speech planned? Check.
Nerves of steel? Check.
A single crush? …not check…?
What do you do when you find your best friend/crush kissing your other best friend on the day you were going to declare your feelings for him? You only agree to fake date your crush’s rival. The King of the Bows, popular golden (play)boy, and all around douche, Xander wouldn’t be my last choice for a boyfriend.
Across the school, battlelines are drawn and sides are taken between the new ’it’ couple of my former best friends and the excitingly scandalous pairing of me and King Douche.
Xander keeps distracting me from the plan; make Jason jealous. He insists on holding my hand and kissing me and being nice. Ugh. Xander’s not nice and he’s not the relationship type, but he’s doing a damned good job of acting both parts.
He calls it ‘keeping up appearances’, I call it ‘take one more pass at my arse and I’ll break your nose’.
They say all’s fair in love and war, but what’s so fair about falling for the wrong guy when your two best friends are on the other side of the battlelines?
Please be aware that this story is set in Australia and therefore uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
Big girl undies? Check.
Speech planned? Check.
Nerves of steel? Check.
A single crush? …not check…?
What do you do when you find your best friend/crush kissing your other best friend on the day you were going to declare your feelings for him? You only agree to fake date your crush’s rival. The King of the Bows, popular golden (play)boy, and all around douche, Xander wouldn’t be my last choice for a boyfriend.
Across the school, battlelines are drawn and sides are taken between the new ’it’ couple of my former best friends and the excitingly scandalous pairing of me and King Douche.
Xander keeps distracting me from the plan; make Jason jealous. He insists on holding my hand and kissing me and being nice. Ugh. Xander’s not nice and he’s not the relationship type, but he’s doing a damned good job of acting both parts.
He calls it ‘keeping up appearances’, I call it ‘take one more pass at my arse and I’ll break your nose’.
They say all’s fair in love and war, but what’s so fair about falling for the wrong guy when your two best friends are on the other side of the battlelines?
Please be aware that this story is set in Australia and therefore uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
11 pages, Audio CD
Published January 10, 2019
772 people are currently reading
3197 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Stevens
77 books368 followersWriter. Reader. Perpetual student. Nerd.
I started out writing fantasy. But, I like to write anything, honestly. These days, I mainly stick to YA and there's always at least a sprinkling of romance, if not a 'whoops, I dropped the whole packet in'. Almost all my books are set in my home state of South Australia, either in real or fictional places - gotta write what you know - with Netherfield being the only current exception.
Like most writers, I love to read. Although, time for reading at the moment is hard to come by. When I'm not too busy writing, I'm usually reading a number of authors. Some of my favourites are Rick Riordan, Jane Austen, Kate Forsyth, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kasie West, John Flanagan, Terry Pratchett, Isobelle Carmody, Christina Benjamin, Emily Rodda, and many more.
I'm an avid fan of Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Red Dwarf, IT Crowd, and pretty much anything similar. I've recently discovered Richard Ayoade's Travel Man and it's brilliant. I love watching soccer (go Gunners) and thoroughly look forward to seeing Eurovision every year. Celebrity crushes include Anna Kendrick and Chris Evans, because they are wonderful.
I live in Adelaide with my husband and a menagerie of animals – a cat reliving her (sixth) youth, a cowardly Beagle-Cavalier who thinks he’s smaller than he is, one meeping guinea pig who thinks any plastic bag has his greens in, two chickens who are terrified of free-ranging, and a turtle with a penchant for sticking her head up her filter pipe.
I have a Master of Arts (Writing) from Swinburne University of Technology. I also have a Master of Arts (Editing and Publishing) at University of Southern Queensland and, am now working towards my PhD. I also hope to one day undertake a PhD in Creative Writing - perpetual student, am I.
I also organise the Sleeping Dragon Emerging Fantasy Writers’ Collective writing group. The group self-published their anthology Tales from the Sleeping Dragon in 2012.
You can also find me on:
Facebook
Instagram
Wattpad
If you'd like to keep up with all my shenanigans, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
NB: I'm usually happy to discuss review copies of my books. A track record of reviewing is preferable, but not completely necessary.
I started out writing fantasy. But, I like to write anything, honestly. These days, I mainly stick to YA and there's always at least a sprinkling of romance, if not a 'whoops, I dropped the whole packet in'. Almost all my books are set in my home state of South Australia, either in real or fictional places - gotta write what you know - with Netherfield being the only current exception.
Like most writers, I love to read. Although, time for reading at the moment is hard to come by. When I'm not too busy writing, I'm usually reading a number of authors. Some of my favourites are Rick Riordan, Jane Austen, Kate Forsyth, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kasie West, John Flanagan, Terry Pratchett, Isobelle Carmody, Christina Benjamin, Emily Rodda, and many more.
I'm an avid fan of Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Red Dwarf, IT Crowd, and pretty much anything similar. I've recently discovered Richard Ayoade's Travel Man and it's brilliant. I love watching soccer (go Gunners) and thoroughly look forward to seeing Eurovision every year. Celebrity crushes include Anna Kendrick and Chris Evans, because they are wonderful.
I live in Adelaide with my husband and a menagerie of animals – a cat reliving her (sixth) youth, a cowardly Beagle-Cavalier who thinks he’s smaller than he is, one meeping guinea pig who thinks any plastic bag has his greens in, two chickens who are terrified of free-ranging, and a turtle with a penchant for sticking her head up her filter pipe.
I have a Master of Arts (Writing) from Swinburne University of Technology. I also have a Master of Arts (Editing and Publishing) at University of Southern Queensland and, am now working towards my PhD. I also hope to one day undertake a PhD in Creative Writing - perpetual student, am I.
I also organise the Sleeping Dragon Emerging Fantasy Writers’ Collective writing group. The group self-published their anthology Tales from the Sleeping Dragon in 2012.
You can also find me on:
Wattpad
If you'd like to keep up with all my shenanigans, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
NB: I'm usually happy to discuss review copies of my books. A track record of reviewing is preferable, but not completely necessary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
July 30, 2018
I can´t really say I hated it cause I did voluntarily turn to the next page every time. I would´ve probably edited the plot differently, a bit tired of books were the main plot is "He doesn´t like me, does he? How can I ever figure that out???" communication is basically non-existent even when he says things to her face.
February 14, 2021
Finally! A decent YA read. I am putting Miss Stevens works for future reading. Keeping Up Appearances is a fake daring trophe but done right.
The highlight of the moral story of what is right by your heart, family bonding, friendship is done right. It is interesting to see how Holly grows feeling toward Xander. And I do like Xander. He is such perfect boyfriend.
Overall this is a wonderful read.
4 stars
The highlight of the moral story of what is right by your heart, family bonding, friendship is done right. It is interesting to see how Holly grows feeling toward Xander. And I do like Xander. He is such perfect boyfriend.
Overall this is a wonderful read.
4 stars
April 24, 2021
I let this review go too long and that makes me sad. I'm not entirely sure this works, though I was engaged throughout. The setup is a bit too ideal for delivering a "message" and that makes it seem a bit manipulated. I mean, it doesn't take long to figure out that the group Holly leaves is rather awful, including her "best friends". They are kind of crap people, so she's actually treated better by the group she finds herself on the outside of (with extra suspicion and hard feelings).
And Xander is kind of ideal, too. He's rich, but not full of himself. He's confident but kind. And it turns out that all of Holly's preconceptions are a combination of believing the lies told about the rich kids and taking things out of context to show them in their worst light. So kind of like politics, really. Which is maybe not that far off of a high school experience.
So the story of Holly learning to trust Xander moves along in their fake relationship that eventually turns real and what kept me going is that Stevens does great characterization (even though it doesn't sound like it given my complaints above). So I was engaged with Holly and I very much liked being along as she learns to trust her new friends and come to terms with her past (both the betrayal and the shame of participating in some not-so-nice bits along the way). It was sweet and I really liked Xander, even if (because?) he was a little idea.
The final message is pounded in a little hard with an unlikely public gesture and that put the final nail in any hopes this could rise above four stars. Which is actually pretty good given how manipulative some aspects of the background felt. And yes, it got that high all on the strength of the characters and their interactions. Seriously strong chops, there.
A note about Chaste: While Xander and Holly are pretending to be together, and make out a bit (okay, more than a bit), they don't do anything explicit on page. So this is fairly chaste. If you count talking about sex and planning for sex and such, well, that's a different story. So if you like to think that teens aren't thinking about or having sex, this isn't for you.
And Xander is kind of ideal, too. He's rich, but not full of himself. He's confident but kind. And it turns out that all of Holly's preconceptions are a combination of believing the lies told about the rich kids and taking things out of context to show them in their worst light. So kind of like politics, really. Which is maybe not that far off of a high school experience.
So the story of Holly learning to trust Xander moves along in their fake relationship that eventually turns real and what kept me going is that Stevens does great characterization (even though it doesn't sound like it given my complaints above). So I was engaged with Holly and I very much liked being along as she learns to trust her new friends and come to terms with her past (both the betrayal and the shame of participating in some not-so-nice bits along the way). It was sweet and I really liked Xander, even if (because?) he was a little idea.
The final message is pounded in a little hard with an unlikely public gesture and that put the final nail in any hopes this could rise above four stars. Which is actually pretty good given how manipulative some aspects of the background felt. And yes, it got that high all on the strength of the characters and their interactions. Seriously strong chops, there.
A note about Chaste: While Xander and Holly are pretending to be together, and make out a bit (okay, more than a bit), they don't do anything explicit on page. So this is fairly chaste. If you count talking about sex and planning for sex and such, well, that's a different story. So if you like to think that teens aren't thinking about or having sex, this isn't for you.
March 12, 2020
Fake dating is one of my very favorite tropes, so I was really excited about this book. Then I picked it up and started reading, and it was all downhill from there. I was going to give it 2 stars, but there were so many grammatical issues on top of the bizarro plot that I couldn’t justify a 2 star.
The fake dating in this book made no sense and had no banter or chemistry. They just decided “let’s fake date” and the next second he’s grabbing her butt every 3 seconds (dude had a major butt fetish) and they’re kissing. Where was the buildup? The romantic tension??? I got her reason for fake dating (to make the guy she had a crush on jealous) but I had no idea what Xander’s motivation for the fake dating was. To get girls to leave him alone? But he was supposed to be a total playboy so why wouldn’t he want attention from girls?
Why did the people in the school care so much about who was dating who? To the point that they made up couple names and buttons for each of the couples? And breaking out into random fistfights over which couple would break up first? That seemed totally bizarre. And why didn’t the teachers shut it down? One of the teachers actually went to Holly for advice on how to deal with the situation! The teachers are supposed to handle stuff like that - not ask the students what they think should be done!
Both Jason and Nancy were horrid and WHY was Holly friends with them?
Xander had his cute moments, but he also came across as fairly sleazy at times (he made many innuendos) and just plain weird at others. I have never read a book that discussed menstruation at such length, or a book where guys talked about it constantly. I did like that Holly could be herself with him, even though I didn’t particularly care for him as a character. And don’t get me started on his nickname. King Douche, really??? And everyone called him that!
There were also some GLARING punctuation errors. The author was comma happy. They were overused and incorrectly used. It got really grating after a while.
I’m glad it’s over.
The fake dating in this book made no sense and had no banter or chemistry. They just decided “let’s fake date” and the next second he’s grabbing her butt every 3 seconds (dude had a major butt fetish) and they’re kissing. Where was the buildup? The romantic tension??? I got her reason for fake dating (to make the guy she had a crush on jealous) but I had no idea what Xander’s motivation for the fake dating was. To get girls to leave him alone? But he was supposed to be a total playboy so why wouldn’t he want attention from girls?
Why did the people in the school care so much about who was dating who? To the point that they made up couple names and buttons for each of the couples? And breaking out into random fistfights over which couple would break up first? That seemed totally bizarre. And why didn’t the teachers shut it down? One of the teachers actually went to Holly for advice on how to deal with the situation! The teachers are supposed to handle stuff like that - not ask the students what they think should be done!
Both Jason and Nancy were horrid and WHY was Holly friends with them?
Xander had his cute moments, but he also came across as fairly sleazy at times (he made many innuendos) and just plain weird at others. I have never read a book that discussed menstruation at such length, or a book where guys talked about it constantly. I did like that Holly could be herself with him, even though I didn’t particularly care for him as a character. And don’t get me started on his nickname. King Douche, really??? And everyone called him that!
There were also some GLARING punctuation errors. The author was comma happy. They were overused and incorrectly used. It got really grating after a while.
I’m glad it’s over.
September 21, 2018
This novel is just plain hilarious. There were tons of laughing-out-loud moments with the snark and banter between the characters.
Holly was a super fun heroine. I love her potty mouth and her banter with Xander. Her sarcasm made her a great heroine. However, I loved Holly's character growth. She grows up from a narrow-minded judgmental girl to someone who starts accepting people for the way they are. Holly was a heroine who was completely relatable but had her own uniqueness.
Xander completely stole the show. Xander is like one of the best YA book boyfriends you will ever get. He is so sarcastic and sweet. I love how he dotes on Holly. He is geuinely cares for and is so much more than his reputation. I like how Xander is just geuinely a nice guy. And, when he confesses his feelings for Holly OMG!
The romance had a nice pace to it. I loved how the trope was fauxmance. Holly and Xander had so much to go through to really understand each other. I like how they genuinely become friends then become lovers. And, the romance took a span of a couple of months. There was no insta-love.
The side characters and whole high-school cliques were done really well. I like how the Bows, who seemingly have everything, are actually just regular people. The tight knit group of friends Xander has is amazing. And, I had a love/hate with Rachel. At the end I loved her so much, but read it to see why.
All in all, this is a great read. It's a sweet high-school YA romance. Great pacing, and definitely recommend you read it.
Holly was a super fun heroine. I love her potty mouth and her banter with Xander. Her sarcasm made her a great heroine. However, I loved Holly's character growth. She grows up from a narrow-minded judgmental girl to someone who starts accepting people for the way they are. Holly was a heroine who was completely relatable but had her own uniqueness.
Xander completely stole the show. Xander is like one of the best YA book boyfriends you will ever get. He is so sarcastic and sweet. I love how he dotes on Holly. He is geuinely cares for and is so much more than his reputation. I like how Xander is just geuinely a nice guy. And, when he confesses his feelings for Holly OMG!
The romance had a nice pace to it. I loved how the trope was fauxmance. Holly and Xander had so much to go through to really understand each other. I like how they genuinely become friends then become lovers. And, the romance took a span of a couple of months. There was no insta-love.
The side characters and whole high-school cliques were done really well. I like how the Bows, who seemingly have everything, are actually just regular people. The tight knit group of friends Xander has is amazing. And, I had a love/hate with Rachel. At the end I loved her so much, but read it to see why.
All in all, this is a great read. It's a sweet high-school YA romance. Great pacing, and definitely recommend you read it.
February 20, 2019
Rating: 3.5 Stars
This is my second book by Stevens, and I have to say, she knows how to write those bad boys with hearts of gold. I quickly became a fan of Xander, and thought he and Holly were fantastic together.
Yes, this was a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story kind of romance, with a hero and a heroine from rival cliques joining together. Some of the clique drama was a bit OTT, but I thought it was fantastic how Holly was better able to assess herself and her relationships once she broke away from her group. She gained so much perspective on herself and other people, and she also began to reprioritize things too.
There was great chemistry and banter between Holly and Xander, some fierce friendships, and even a little bit of family focus too.
This is my second book by Stevens, and I have to say, she knows how to write those bad boys with hearts of gold. I quickly became a fan of Xander, and thought he and Holly were fantastic together.
Yes, this was a little bit of a Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story kind of romance, with a hero and a heroine from rival cliques joining together. Some of the clique drama was a bit OTT, but I thought it was fantastic how Holly was better able to assess herself and her relationships once she broke away from her group. She gained so much perspective on herself and other people, and she also began to reprioritize things too.
There was great chemistry and banter between Holly and Xander, some fierce friendships, and even a little bit of family focus too.
August 6, 2018
Thank you Sharon J for recommending this book to me. This was an incredible read. The story grabbed from the very beginning. This was a story of self-discovery with a bit of romance. Holly’s journey in this book was fantastic. We see her go from a girl who thought of herself as unattractive to a girl who started to have confidence in herself and found friends who appreciated her for who she was. Along the way, she fell in love with her ex-best friend Justin’s arch nemesis, Xander. Xander was known as a man who’re aka King Douche by Holly in the beginning of the book. However, he is actually a sweet, funny, sensitive guy who hides behind that mask. I loved how he opened him up to Holly. It showed me that he is able to care about other rather than himself. I thought Holly and Xander were cute together. Also, I really liked the relationship between Holly and her brother, Mark. Their interactions are always so funny. I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what else Elizabeth Stevens writes. Overall, an amazing read.
February 23, 2020
Actual Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🥰That was so heartwarming🥰
This was my first time listening to an audio book and it wasn't that bad, but I definitely still prefer hardcover/eBooks.
🥰That was so heartwarming🥰
This was my first time listening to an audio book and it wasn't that bad, but I definitely still prefer hardcover/eBooks.
August 17, 2024
୧ ‧₊˚ Keeping up Appearences ！
★ | 2.5 Stars
thoughts ᡣ𐭩 •｡💌 ꪆৎ ˚⋅
This was a hard one…. I cringed ALOT, and legit thought this was from 2008 cause who tf still uses Facebook and Skype?! If I’d have had to read the words cock or balls one more time in this book I would’ve needed to be held back from Stevens. The writing was so terrible the numerous amount of grammar errors were concerning and the Mc’s weren’t even that likable. So why did I continue reading? I don’t know I was so invested It was crazy even though I know no school would make THIS MUCH commotion over two couples. Maybe it’s an Australian thing but idk this book was weird with the jumpers and all…
Also, I was so weirded out by Xander and Rachel’s friendship maybe I’m “insecure” or don’t trust female and male super touchy friendships but it was too much they could’ve acted more like siblings than a married couple cause like why is he giving her his overalls when she’s in a mood and why is his girlfriend okay with it? Anywho yeah hated this book and couldn’t even find a good quote to add to this review.
characters .ᐟ
Holly 📚
Ok doll look. You were okay but I don’t care about you. You were complicated and kinda annoying tbh but whatever
Xander ⚽️
I don’t like him. I get it he’s a teen boy but I shouldn’t be reading so much about his sexual intentions in a ya. He kinda rubbed me the wrong way but he did make me smile like thrice
Others 🏘️
I love you Greg, Miranda, and Marc thank you for being the highlight of this book. Fuck off forever Nancy. Jason go eat icecream alone. The other Bows couldn’t give less of a shit about you bye.
book playlist .ᐟ
0:00 ❍──────── -3:96
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Tummy Hurts - Renee Rapp
mad woman - Taylor Swift
imgonnagetyouback - Taylor Swift
So High School - Taylor Swift
Pretty isn’t Pretty - Olivia Rodrigo
i’m confident i’m insecure - Lawrence
0:00 ────────❍ -0:00
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%
★ | 2.5 Stars
thoughts ᡣ𐭩 •｡💌 ꪆৎ ˚⋅
This was a hard one…. I cringed ALOT, and legit thought this was from 2008 cause who tf still uses Facebook and Skype?! If I’d have had to read the words cock or balls one more time in this book I would’ve needed to be held back from Stevens. The writing was so terrible the numerous amount of grammar errors were concerning and the Mc’s weren’t even that likable. So why did I continue reading? I don’t know I was so invested It was crazy even though I know no school would make THIS MUCH commotion over two couples. Maybe it’s an Australian thing but idk this book was weird with the jumpers and all…
Also, I was so weirded out by Xander and Rachel’s friendship maybe I’m “insecure” or don’t trust female and male super touchy friendships but it was too much they could’ve acted more like siblings than a married couple cause like why is he giving her his overalls when she’s in a mood and why is his girlfriend okay with it? Anywho yeah hated this book and couldn’t even find a good quote to add to this review.
characters .ᐟ
Holly 📚
Ok doll look. You were okay but I don’t care about you. You were complicated and kinda annoying tbh but whatever
Xander ⚽️
I don’t like him. I get it he’s a teen boy but I shouldn’t be reading so much about his sexual intentions in a ya. He kinda rubbed me the wrong way but he did make me smile like thrice
Others 🏘️
I love you Greg, Miranda, and Marc thank you for being the highlight of this book. Fuck off forever Nancy. Jason go eat icecream alone. The other Bows couldn’t give less of a shit about you bye.
book playlist .ᐟ
0:00 ❍──────── -3:96
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Tummy Hurts - Renee Rapp
mad woman - Taylor Swift
imgonnagetyouback - Taylor Swift
So High School - Taylor Swift
Pretty isn’t Pretty - Olivia Rodrigo
i’m confident i’m insecure - Lawrence
0:00 ────────❍ -0:00
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%
July 18, 2023
read July 18, 2023 - July 18, 2023: 2 stars
June 10, 2019
I love this story. Definitely rom com. I especially enjoy the mini banter between holly's heart and brain. Hehehe
September 23, 2025
my cuties !! i love my fake daters holly and xander sm. and greg and miranda are literally day ones fr. i love literally everyone in this except the idjits. and the ending was cute but i hate that (spoilers) public announcement moral speech in a highschool thing. like just sort it out in person instead of blasting it everywhere😭
but other than that i love it sm
but other than that i love it sm
April 25, 2020
I'm a sucker for a romance
April 20, 2021
Awesome Read
I can’t believe what a evil cow Nancy is because that girl is just horrible. Jason isn’t much better because he went along with everything and their “friends” . I absolutely love Xander, yeah he’s done stupid crap and has made bad decisions yet hasn’t change anything about the awesome character he is . Doll has her eyes opened it the most screwed up way and it turns out to be the best thing for her .
I can’t believe what a evil cow Nancy is because that girl is just horrible. Jason isn’t much better because he went along with everything and their “friends” . I absolutely love Xander, yeah he’s done stupid crap and has made bad decisions yet hasn’t change anything about the awesome character he is . Doll has her eyes opened it the most screwed up way and it turns out to be the best thing for her .
July 28, 2018
Delightful, YA, PG, Romeo-and-Juliet, fake-boyfriend, romantic comedy
The protagonists of this delightful, young-adult, romantic comedy, Xander Bowen and Holly Aberdeen, are both 17 years old. They live in in Adelaide, the capital city of the state of South Australia, and they attend a secondary school called Maple Ridge Grammar. They are in Year Twelve (the equivalent of 12th grade or senior year in high school in the USA).
After a weekend of peptalks and rehearsals with Nancy Milligan, Holly's best friend for the past five years, Nancy has convinced Holly it is way past time that she proclaim her true feelings to Jason Thomas (AKA "JT"). Jason is Holly's long-time crush and best friend of ten years' duration, and Nancy has assured Holly that she is positive that Jason will reciprocate her feelings. But when Holly approaches Jason at school, bright and early Monday morning, she is stunned to encounter him hugging and kissing Nancy. Her sense of betrayal is overwhelming. Not only is she apparently the last one at school to find out that her two best friends are now a couple, but they have been together since early last weekend--a full day before Nancy began encouraging Holly to approach Jason! The sneer on Nancy's face when she catches Holly's eye makes it obvious that Nancy's intent was to cruelly set Holly up for public humiliation, basically sticking in the knife and then giving it a twist.
Desperately blinking away tears, Holly pushes her way through the crowded, school halls, blindly seeking a place to be alone and cry her eyes out. When she randomly shoves open a door and plows into a half-naked, very buff male body, she suddenly realizes she's alone in the boy's locker room with none other than the "King of the Bows" AKA "King Douche." Xander Bowen is the star striker for the soccer team, and one of the two most gorgeous and popular boys at her school--Jason being the other. Each leads a clique of attractive and popular followers. Xander's followers call Jason's friends, "JT's minions," and Jason's followers call Xander's, the "Bows," The two boys are bitter enemies and, in fact, for many years, out of loyalty to Jason, Holly has taken it as a given that Xander is a worthless "manwhore" and everyone in his clique is a horrible human being as well.
Holly is understandably surprised and suspicious when Xander suggests that if they pretend they are dating, both of them could achieve mutually beneficial ends. Xander is tired of girls throwing themselves at him, wasting time he needs to dedicate to soccer and his studies; Holly's pride could be saved and a mild retribution achieved by making Jason jealous, and Xander would definitely enjoy helping her stick it to that "git," Jason.
At first Holly has no intention of taking up Xander on such an outrageous offer, but when Nancy brazenly taunts Holly one too many times at school, right in front of Jason, and he makes zero effort to stand up for her, Holly has had it! Revenge, even if it's the rather doubtful possibility of making Jason jealous, is too inviting to resist. And so begins the agreement that she and Xander will be indefinitely "Keeping up Appearances" that they are a couple who are mad about each other.
I am a huge fan of romantic comedy novels, and sadly, there are far too few of them written for either adults or teenagers. This YA novel is a brilliant example of rom com, and the author, Elizabeth Stevens, is highly skilled at creating the best kind of comedy, based on witty repartee rather than the humiliation humor of slapstick. She also is outstanding at writing romance, utilizing the very best themes of a long tradition within adult romance novels, including: a terrific Meet Cute, no cheating, the essential romantic conflict of distrust slowly evolving to trust, a powerful personal-growth arc of both protagonists, and a happily ever after (HEA). Holly and Xander are both extremely sympathetic characters, and so are many of the subcharacters among Xander's close friends, the Bows.
As a brief parental warning, I would rate this story PG-13 because there is a lot of frank talk between Xander and Holly, with a bit of semi-coarse language and multiple somewhat risqué discussions of teen-male sexual attitudes and behavior. However, there is no more sensuality between the protagonists than a few kisses. If this were an adult romance novel with sex, I would call this a "slow burn" story, because it takes most of the book before they engage in the G-rated version of sex, kissing. Also, refreshingly for the YA genre, though there is mention of underage drinking, there is none onstage.
My only mild complaint is that it is not entirely clear what the geographic location of the story is, other than the use of British slang, until halfway through when the author finally mentions Adelaide. It would be nice if there had been more attention to setting by providing a bit of local color.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Comedy: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
The protagonists of this delightful, young-adult, romantic comedy, Xander Bowen and Holly Aberdeen, are both 17 years old. They live in in Adelaide, the capital city of the state of South Australia, and they attend a secondary school called Maple Ridge Grammar. They are in Year Twelve (the equivalent of 12th grade or senior year in high school in the USA).
After a weekend of peptalks and rehearsals with Nancy Milligan, Holly's best friend for the past five years, Nancy has convinced Holly it is way past time that she proclaim her true feelings to Jason Thomas (AKA "JT"). Jason is Holly's long-time crush and best friend of ten years' duration, and Nancy has assured Holly that she is positive that Jason will reciprocate her feelings. But when Holly approaches Jason at school, bright and early Monday morning, she is stunned to encounter him hugging and kissing Nancy. Her sense of betrayal is overwhelming. Not only is she apparently the last one at school to find out that her two best friends are now a couple, but they have been together since early last weekend--a full day before Nancy began encouraging Holly to approach Jason! The sneer on Nancy's face when she catches Holly's eye makes it obvious that Nancy's intent was to cruelly set Holly up for public humiliation, basically sticking in the knife and then giving it a twist.
Desperately blinking away tears, Holly pushes her way through the crowded, school halls, blindly seeking a place to be alone and cry her eyes out. When she randomly shoves open a door and plows into a half-naked, very buff male body, she suddenly realizes she's alone in the boy's locker room with none other than the "King of the Bows" AKA "King Douche." Xander Bowen is the star striker for the soccer team, and one of the two most gorgeous and popular boys at her school--Jason being the other. Each leads a clique of attractive and popular followers. Xander's followers call Jason's friends, "JT's minions," and Jason's followers call Xander's, the "Bows," The two boys are bitter enemies and, in fact, for many years, out of loyalty to Jason, Holly has taken it as a given that Xander is a worthless "manwhore" and everyone in his clique is a horrible human being as well.
Holly is understandably surprised and suspicious when Xander suggests that if they pretend they are dating, both of them could achieve mutually beneficial ends. Xander is tired of girls throwing themselves at him, wasting time he needs to dedicate to soccer and his studies; Holly's pride could be saved and a mild retribution achieved by making Jason jealous, and Xander would definitely enjoy helping her stick it to that "git," Jason.
At first Holly has no intention of taking up Xander on such an outrageous offer, but when Nancy brazenly taunts Holly one too many times at school, right in front of Jason, and he makes zero effort to stand up for her, Holly has had it! Revenge, even if it's the rather doubtful possibility of making Jason jealous, is too inviting to resist. And so begins the agreement that she and Xander will be indefinitely "Keeping up Appearances" that they are a couple who are mad about each other.
I am a huge fan of romantic comedy novels, and sadly, there are far too few of them written for either adults or teenagers. This YA novel is a brilliant example of rom com, and the author, Elizabeth Stevens, is highly skilled at creating the best kind of comedy, based on witty repartee rather than the humiliation humor of slapstick. She also is outstanding at writing romance, utilizing the very best themes of a long tradition within adult romance novels, including: a terrific Meet Cute, no cheating, the essential romantic conflict of distrust slowly evolving to trust, a powerful personal-growth arc of both protagonists, and a happily ever after (HEA). Holly and Xander are both extremely sympathetic characters, and so are many of the subcharacters among Xander's close friends, the Bows.
As a brief parental warning, I would rate this story PG-13 because there is a lot of frank talk between Xander and Holly, with a bit of semi-coarse language and multiple somewhat risqué discussions of teen-male sexual attitudes and behavior. However, there is no more sensuality between the protagonists than a few kisses. If this were an adult romance novel with sex, I would call this a "slow burn" story, because it takes most of the book before they engage in the G-rated version of sex, kissing. Also, refreshingly for the YA genre, though there is mention of underage drinking, there is none onstage.
My only mild complaint is that it is not entirely clear what the geographic location of the story is, other than the use of British slang, until halfway through when the author finally mentions Adelaide. It would be nice if there had been more attention to setting by providing a bit of local color.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Comedy: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
January 24, 2021
5
קול 1
ספר ya לא ארוטי
ספר תיכון חשוב איך מחזקים את האישיות למרות הקבוצה ולראות אנשים ללא מסכות ללא הגדרות .
כן השלד בסיס ידוע כזה אם זאת הופתעתי הולי נפגעת מהחבר והחברה הכי טוב שלה שהתחילו לצאת מתחת לאף שלה והם מנהלי הקליקה בה היא נמצאת כשהיא "מנקה את הפצעיים" זאנדר = מלך הדוש מציע לה לצאת בכאילו כדי לגרום לחבר ב"קליקה" הישנה שלה לקנא והוא כדי שהבנות יפסיקו להציע לו לצאת .. מענן לראות לאורך הספר איך מורידה את המסכות רואה את האנשים כמו שהם ולא רק את המסכה שאנשים אחרים מגדירים אותם דרכם
קול 1
ספר ya לא ארוטי
ספר תיכון חשוב איך מחזקים את האישיות למרות הקבוצה ולראות אנשים ללא מסכות ללא הגדרות .
כן השלד בסיס ידוע כזה אם זאת הופתעתי הולי נפגעת מהחבר והחברה הכי טוב שלה שהתחילו לצאת מתחת לאף שלה והם מנהלי הקליקה בה היא נמצאת כשהיא "מנקה את הפצעיים" זאנדר = מלך הדוש מציע לה לצאת בכאילו כדי לגרום לחבר ב"קליקה" הישנה שלה לקנא והוא כדי שהבנות יפסיקו להציע לו לצאת .. מענן לראות לאורך הספר איך מורידה את המסכות רואה את האנשים כמו שהם ולא רק את המסכה שאנשים אחרים מגדירים אותם דרכם
September 27, 2018
I Don't read all that many teenage high school dramas anymore. They tend to be a bit superficial, and truth be told I'm getting "older".
But this High school drama was actually fabulous. It was really good, funny, super cute and oh so entertaining.
It might be a little cliché but it was very well written, and I liked this author's style.
But this High school drama was actually fabulous. It was really good, funny, super cute and oh so entertaining.
It might be a little cliché but it was very well written, and I liked this author's style.
June 7, 2018
Fun YA that doesn’t really state where it takes place (the author lives in New Zealand so I’m assuming...) but could take place anywhere, really. It’s basically about high school (I’m in the USA) social hierarchy, and what can happen when you ‘cross social lines’ and join the ‘enemy’ team. There are mean girls, clueless guys, secret crushes, and a lot of embarrassment and self-doubt. You know, typical high school stuff that’s only fun if you’re out of school and it’s in a book. ;)
Even though there are a few things a bit far-fetched in this story, it IS fiction, after all, it was a good read. The characters were believable, likable, for the most part, and relatable. I liked how the plot played out and how the characters resolved their issues and, best of all, I liked how the main female character, Holly evolved and shared what she’d learned, not for herself but to make the lives of her classmates better. I liked how she took responsibility for her choices and actions, acknowledged her mistakes, and was still a nice person, even when it seemed every one was against her.
The main male character, Xander was typical but not... sure he was the ‘big man on campus’, the playboy who could get any girl, the sports star, but there was also a caring, loyal, ‘it’s not all about me’ person that he showed to the people he cared about. I loved how he jumped all in to his and Holly’s ‘plan’, was so supportive and affectionate from the beginning and -spoiler alert - saw his chance with Holly and grabbed it but didn’t exploit it. I also loved how he and Holly teased each other and flirted. Really cute!
Even though there are a few things a bit far-fetched in this story, it IS fiction, after all, it was a good read. The characters were believable, likable, for the most part, and relatable. I liked how the plot played out and how the characters resolved their issues and, best of all, I liked how the main female character, Holly evolved and shared what she’d learned, not for herself but to make the lives of her classmates better. I liked how she took responsibility for her choices and actions, acknowledged her mistakes, and was still a nice person, even when it seemed every one was against her.
The main male character, Xander was typical but not... sure he was the ‘big man on campus’, the playboy who could get any girl, the sports star, but there was also a caring, loyal, ‘it’s not all about me’ person that he showed to the people he cared about. I loved how he jumped all in to his and Holly’s ‘plan’, was so supportive and affectionate from the beginning and -spoiler alert - saw his chance with Holly and grabbed it but didn’t exploit it. I also loved how he and Holly teased each other and flirted. Really cute!
May 31, 2021
4.5 STARS
i was so hesitant to read Keeping Up Appearances because i thought it just would not be good, but I WAS WRONG, okay. (i need to stop doing this to myself).
i loved the characters, Holly and Xander. they’re adorable in my opinion. also loved the side characters, except for those i didn’t lol. i liked the setting of school and Australia. in addition, fake-dating is just the ultimate trope for me.
i feel like this would be an undesirable book for a lot of people because they’d say it went on too long, or there is no plot, but i could read on and on about our MCs.
i can’t form really good sentences right now. i loved it and enjoyed it very much :))
i was so hesitant to read Keeping Up Appearances because i thought it just would not be good, but I WAS WRONG, okay. (i need to stop doing this to myself).
i loved the characters, Holly and Xander. they’re adorable in my opinion. also loved the side characters, except for those i didn’t lol. i liked the setting of school and Australia. in addition, fake-dating is just the ultimate trope for me.
i feel like this would be an undesirable book for a lot of people because they’d say it went on too long, or there is no plot, but i could read on and on about our MCs.
i can’t form really good sentences right now. i loved it and enjoyed it very much :))
February 5, 2019
So I wanted to read this book because of the cute premise, I am a sucker for fake dating stories .. the beginning was really enjoyable and I liked Holly and Xander as characters .. but as the story progressed it became so sexual for no apparent reason .. there were some cute moments dropped here and there but mostly it was a meh for me
June 21, 2019
The DUFF meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before... but the result wasn't half as cute as any of those. It wouldn't have been so bad if Holly had been less of an idiot - seriously, there's clueless and then there's this. The two stars (more like 1.5) are purely because Xander was the most adorable bbf since Peter K, but not even him could save this.
October 1, 2019
I'm loving all of Elizabeth Stevens' books right now, I love the character development of the main character and how it approaches HS gossip and how it affects everybody.
Even if it's a romance ( which is a lovely story btw) the development of friendship and how loyalty affects it. it shows you what being a good friend really is.
Even if it's a romance ( which is a lovely story btw) the development of friendship and how loyalty affects it. it shows you what being a good friend really is.
November 16, 2019
I swooned so hard for Xander. The way he loved Holly just the way she is. How her safety and well being was all he cared about.
This book is about as cliche as you possible imagine. From fist fights overs girls, to girls talking about shopping. But I loved it and it feels like a guilty pleasure I won’t forget any time soon.
This book is about as cliche as you possible imagine. From fist fights overs girls, to girls talking about shopping. But I loved it and it feels like a guilty pleasure I won’t forget any time soon.
May 30, 2024
Sometimes you're really just your own enemy, y’know? I wish I could say this is the last time I trust an ig reel for a book rec but my own stupidity will lead me down this path again.
If you ever, for whatever reason, find yourself in a position where you think sharing your life story is the only way: no. It's not. Save yourself. Seek help.
If you ever, for whatever reason, find yourself in a position where you think sharing your life story is the only way: no. It's not. Save yourself. Seek help.
May 15, 2023
4,5⭐️
May 25, 2018
Full on teenagers drama, I just loved read this story. Characters are shallow but it’s was you expect from 17 years old. This book is brilliant for just unplugged and enjoy drama who are not that dramatic
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 24, 2018
This story grabbed me from the very beginning. The main characters were easy to fall in love with. It’s a great journey following Holly as she really learns that when you truly stop caring about impressing everyone else and just be yourself you find true friends and real love.
May 26, 2023
wish i could give this book a half but i can’t
‘spread nutella, not hate’
i would much rather spend hours spreading hate about this book because i really didn’t know how bad ‘bad rom-coms’ could be until i read this cringe masterpiece
also it’s SPUN not SPAN
jesus fuck the number of times i wanted to break her editors skull open
also i feel like they turned british randomly in like chapter five and would not stop using the word arse
nobody uses it that much
nobody.
‘spread nutella, not hate’
i would much rather spend hours spreading hate about this book because i really didn’t know how bad ‘bad rom-coms’ could be until i read this cringe masterpiece
also it’s SPUN not SPAN
jesus fuck the number of times i wanted to break her editors skull open
also i feel like they turned british randomly in like chapter five and would not stop using the word arse
nobody uses it that much
nobody.
January 9, 2024
Fake dating gjort ordentligt. Kæmpe applaus herfra.
Og så skal jeg snart stoppe med at genlæse gamle bøger. Udvid din horisont!!
Og så skal jeg snart stoppe med at genlæse gamle bøger. Udvid din horisont!!
June 10, 2018
I"m so sad!!!!! I was so excited for this book it sounded so cute! I don't read books with the "f" bomb it's just my thing. I thought it was great up until I hit the very first "f" bomb at 3%. GAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY! Books can be so good with such potential without that stupid word! I could not finish.
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