HER GOOD SIDE

Two late bloomers try fake dating to gain confidence and skills for the real thing.

Reluctant basketball superstar Bethany Greene might once have been so repelled by boys that she publicly burst into tears at the revelation that one of her besties had done the deed. That was before Oliver Gutierrez opened her eyes to “how truly hot boys can be.” But when both Oliver and her backup plan turn her down for homecoming, Bethany knows she has to find a way to get some experience and shed her “Crybaby Bethany” reputation. Enter Jacob Yeun, aspiring filmmaker and the reticent boyfriend (and then ex-boyfriend) of another of Bethany’s besties. In her first young adult novel, established adult romance author Weatherspoon gives readers what they want as Bethany and Jacob are thrown together, enter a secret dating pact, and eventually fall for each other. The Los Angeles teens are wholesome and appealing and just a touch more glamorous than real life: Both of Bethany’s moms played in the WNBA, and Jacob’s parents are tattoo artists. Bethany is a confidently fat Black girl, and Jacob is a lightly tattooed Korean American skater. Each is surrounded by their own racially mixed crews, which also include gay and nonbinary representation. The characterization of the sprawling cast of friends and family members is cursory, but the love and affirmation between them carries the day.

Light and sweet.