Pretending
Book Feature - Pretending by Holly Bourne
HBL Note: Pretending by Holly Bourne is described as “for fans of Fleabag.” I tried watching Fleabag and I couldn’t get into it…I think we watched two episodes and gave up. I recently heard that it is worth watching the first season but it really takes off in the second season. Perhaps I should pick it back up over the holidays? What do you think? I’m getting off track. Regardless of how I felt about Fleabag, Pretending by Holly Bourne is also described as “an emotionally authentic take on #MeToo narratives with bitingly observant humor.” And that intrigues me. Scroll down to read more.
From the publisher:
April is kind, pretty and relatively normal—yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that men aren’t looking for real women—they’re looking for Gretel.
Gretel is perfect—beautiful but low-maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not too easy. She’s your regular, everyday Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl-Next-Door with no problems.
When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun—especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control. It’s refreshing. Exhilarating, even. But as she and Joshua grow closer, and the pressure of keeping her painful past a secret begins to build, how long will she be able to keep on pretending?