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I received this book for free from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

The Art of Lainey is a cute, heartwarming book with a genuine love story that gives the finger to insta-love. This is just a happy-making kind of read that leaves you with a smile on your face and butterflies in your stomach!

Lainey’s boyfriend just broke up with her, and like any teenage girl she feels as if it was the end of the world. She takes on her friend’s advice to follow The Art of War strategies and get him back. It’s a fun premise and being familiar somewhat with The Art of War I thought it was interesting to have that be a part of the story. It gave it this extra layer of depth that I appreciated. As for Lainey herself, though, she could be very frustrating at times, but I have to give kudos to the author for crafting a very realistic teenage girl with a broken heart. Still, as a reader, I couldn’t help but feel irritated towards her way of thinking, not just from her shallow thoughts or comments (“Everything I own is hot” – Le sigh), but also how she saw herself by believing she’s nothing if she’s not Jason’s girlfriend. She had this perfect senior year planned out, and now she acts as if her being single makes her unworthy – a nobody. Her confusing happiness with acceptance and popularity made her blind to how better she was than this. Though I don’t fault her as this is something many teenage girls would feel in her situation, where high school can be more about who you are with than who you are. Fortunately, there is amazing character growth throughout the story where we see Lainey turn into who she never could be with Jason – her real self she never even knew herself. It’s as much of a love story as it is a finding oneself journey.

While going on fake dates to try to win her ex back, this is where we get to know Micah; the complicated, sometimes rude, often funny, and outspoken tattooed boy with a tragic past and a heart of gold. This is the real love story of this novel, and it’s a wonderful butterfly-inducing romance that progresses at the perfect pace between frustrating second guesses and fleeting, swoon worthy moments. I especially loved how different they were from each other, yet somehow fit so perfectly together. They – especially Lainey – start to see their differences as a source of growth rather than obstacles; opening yourself up to new experiences is really how you find out who you truly are. Still, it was definitely not love at first sight, and their initial dislike makes for some amusing, yet endearing banter. Their rivaling sense of humours do make them the perfect pair, even then, however.

This novel is not all about romance, and this is what I loved the most about it. Lainey’s friendship with Bianca is authentic, and even though it takes a while to truly grasp the strength of their bond, I loved how real, how honest, they were with each other. Kendall you will want to slap – often – but she has an important role to play in this novel in showing Lainey that this self-involved, hideous personality is not what she should be choosing. While it’s left unintrusive, family is a part of this story as well: Lainey’s mother is especially great, and we also meet Micah’s mother and sister who bring even more heart into the mix.

Friendship, love, family, music, sports, and self-discovery is what you will find inside The Art of Lainey. The range of emotion matches the depth of this story, giving us an all-around excellent contemporary novel.

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