The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West

Narrated by Shannon McManus

Synopsis (via Goodreads): When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. 

“We rarely find a depth by looking inside of ourselves for it. Depth is found in what we can learn from the people and things around us. Everyone, everything, has a story, Gia. When you learn those stories, you learn experiences that fill you up, that expand your understanding. You add layers to your soul.”

After the first few minutes, I thought this book was going to be as empty as Gia's head. Her personality left a lot to be desired, and she was so vain. Again, this is a story that could have been avoided entirely if people just told the truth.

I liked that the main conflict was with Gia and her friends. Boys played a role, obviously, but it was minor compared to her friend and family issues. I enjoyed seeing how those played out, and I commend Gia on her patience. She didn't like conflict, and she showed a lot of restraint when people were clearly using her or lying to make her look bad.

The ending was not wrapped neatly and tied with a bow. There were loose ends and things left unsaid, uncertain and unknown. I will say that Gia made progress with her personality. She didn't seem as shallow, and appeared to really be making an effort. 

I didn't love or hate this book. It was a fluffy, light read that didn't require a lot of thinking or feeling on my part.