Seressia Glass

He's cosplaying as her boyfriend but their feelings for each other are real in this romantic comedy from Seressia Glass. Sometimes Kenya Davenport believes she was switched at the hospital--how else could a lover of anime, gaming, and cosplay come from STEM parents? Still, Kenya dreams of being able to turn her creative hobby into a career. She finally has a chance to make it big when she joins the reality show competition Cosplay or No Way. There's just one catch: the challenge for the final round is all about iconic pairs, and the judges want the contestants' significant others to participate. Unfortunately, Kenya is as single as can be at the moment. Luckily her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, agrees to be her fake boyfriend for the show. Roleplaying a couple in love will force them to explore what they're hiding under the mask of friendship. Can Kenya and Cam fake it until she makes it, or will she be real about her feelings, knowing it could cost her the best friend she's ever had?

The Love Con

Michaella 

3.5 (rounded down)
This was really cute and I loved the vivid descriptions on how Cam and Kenya designed their projects. However, the romance aspect was not as strong as it should be and the sex scene was written poorly in my opinion. Despite this, the story was overall really heartwarming and a great example of a Black woman navigating and prevailing many different struggles in a predominantly white space, all with a great friend and lover by her side.

Dee B. 

I guess I forgot to add this one? Very unacceptable behaviour if you ask me. I need more people to read this one! It gives me such warm feelings while still not sugar coating the realities of blackness in fandom. 

Yes, to this one!

Bambi Ard

Mariane Ferrantino 

More like 3.5 stars. Super cute premise. Loved the characters! Some aspects of the plot were a little too repetitive, but overall really enjoyed!

A LIBRARY READS PICK He’s cosplaying as her boyfriend but their feelings for each other are real in this romantic comedy from Seressia Glass. Sometimes Kenya Davenport believes she was switched at the hospital—how else could a lover of anime, gaming, and cosplay come from STEM parents? Still, Kenya dreams of being able to turn her creative hobby into a career. She finally has a chance to make it big when she joins the reality show competition Cosplay or No Way. There's just one catch: the challenge for the final round is all about iconic pairs, and the judges want the contestants' significant others to participate. Unfortunately, Kenya is as single as can be at the moment. Luckily her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, agrees to be her fake boyfriend for the show. Roleplaying a couple in love will force them to explore what they're hiding under the mask of friendship. Can Kenya and Cam fake it until she makes it, or will she be real about her feelings, knowing it could cost her the best friend she’s ever had?

Lynn Braden

After Kenya Davenport makes it to the finals of the show, Cosplay or No Way, she is told that she must choose a partner for her final design.  She chooses her roommate and best friend, Cam, whose shop she has been working in since it opened, but when she blurts out that they are more than friends, she doesn't expect Cam to be as receptive as he is about the situation.  Cam has known for a while that Kenya is who he wants, but the competition, her parents, and his former girlfriend stand in the way of what they both want.  

The Love Con contains both friends to lovers and fake dating tropes and develops them very well.  The characters are likable, especially Cam, who seems almost too good to be true.  The competition show works as the main conflict in the story, so most of the problems emanate from challenges presented by the filming of the show.  Kenya's parents also present issues that both protagonists must face, but for the most part, Kenya and Cam are on the same page from the beginning.  The friends to lovers trope just doesn't evolve into enough of a conflict between the protagonists for my taste.  Overall, though, The Love Con is a very cute, sweet romance, making the reading a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Kourtney

I took a break from reading my holiday stories to sneak in a story of reality TV, cosplay, fake relationships and friends-to-lovers. Quite the break from holiday romance! This was my first cosplay story, and I was curious to to see where it would go.

I am a sucker for "I'm on a reality TV show" stories. The Charm Offensive was one of the best reality TV rom-coms I read this year! While reading the portions of the story that were either taking place on the show, or were being filmed for it, I was riveted. The parts where the producers would try to stir up drama had me turning pages as well. What can I say - I am a Housewives fan and can't help myself. 

The parts where Kenya and Cam would be in their apartment and we would be knee deep in their thoughts became a little repetitive and boring for me. There are only so many times I can read that Kenya owes Cam, or how Cam owes Kenya. There's also only so many times I could read their assumptions about how each other felt. It's so frustrating to read parts of the story that can be resolved with a simple 2 minute conversation. 

All in all, I give this read 3 out of 5 stars! This book is out now.

Linda Quintanilla

I have to say that I am always surprising myself whenever I read a book that I least expect to fall in love with. It's always the books with the low expectations. Keep that in mind.I find cosplay very interesting as a hobby because there are so many details to pay attention to if you want to pull it off right. And Kenya has no problem doing so. That's why she is excelling in the competitive reality show. It may be a bit rough for her since she is the only one of color and plus-size. But that does not mean anything, she has the talent so I believe in her. And so does her best friend, Cameron. Cameron has no problem helping his best friend. It gives him the perfect opportunity to spend more time with her. He truly misses her since she has been away for the reality competition. And he definitely has no problem in playing the fake boyfriend. He has always been in love with her, and this fake dating gives him the perfect opportunity to make his play.

The Love Con

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