This is a YA contemporary romance that's sweet and lovely, but also comes with an emotional depth and commentary on community, racism and colourism, a mix that I really enjoyed. Farah was an easy main character to like, strong and proud and able to stand up for herself, and I was fully invested in her. Zayan as a love interest felt a little... lackluster to me; he just felt a bit bland, especially compared to Farah. The plot felt well written and, unfortunately, VERY realistic, so I loved that the author shone a light on these issues in the world of theatre and acting. I'm excited to see what Safa Ahmed brings out next!

DNF. I only managed to read 20% in. It seems so predictable and dull. I didn't enjoy it at all and I couldn't relate with the main character at all.

Safa Ahmed's "The Girlfriend Act" is a delightful and refreshing romantic comedy that captivates from the start. The story follows a unique and engaging premise where two strangers, caught in a series of amusing misunderstandings, pretend to be a couple. Ahmed's writing is witty and charming, bringing the characters to life with humor and heart. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, making their journey of fake dating and unexpected love truly enjoyable. With its clever plot twists and endearing moments, "The Girlfriend Act" is a feel-good read that will leave readers smiling long after the last page.

If I could rate The Girlfriend Act more than 5 stars, I would. Because oh my god, what a delightful read this was!! As someone who reads a lot of YA, this might be one of the cutest YA romances that I have read in such a long time. Safa Ahmed's writing is so captivating; I could not put this book down. Seriously, I read the entirety of it in one go. This is the kind of book that younger me would have immediately fallen in love with (and read a thousand times) and I know, the present me is going to do the same.

Farah and Zayan were so incredibly cute and gave me so many feels ahh!!! Literally could not stop smiling because of them. I also really enjoyed how we get to see both of them grow over the course of the story, as they put together the play with the Tragedies, discover their feelings for each other, giving us such stunning character growth, as the two learn what they really want.

The Girlfriend Act is the YA romance of my heart (and yours, I hope) with some incredible commentary on finding yourself, recognizing your privilege and giving yourself the space to grow. I cannot wait for more books from Safa Ahmed!!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Girlfriend Act' by Safa Ahmed.

'The Girlfriend Act' was honestly one of the cutest stories I've read. Following Farah, this novel features the fake dating trope and such good characters. Farah is an actress who has to face discrimination in her job - which sadly happens in real life. She decides to expose the theatre company who discriminated against her after finding out that she wasn't the only victim. She ends up going viral and decides to use that publicity for good. Her and her peers decide to open up their own theatre company and make their own production and story continues from there.
I adored this story and I would definitely read another book by this author.

This books is an great story to shine a light on the impact of racism and how institutional racism can make people doubt themselves, or cause them to change who they are. In this book Farah and Zayan are both young actors. Zayan has just been cancelled because of his decision to take part in a comedy show where he became a stereotype caricature of what the white director considers to be his culture. Meanwhile Farah is trying to get her big break on the British Theatre stage and auditions for a part in Romeo and Juliet. She's told that she doesn't fit the aesthetic of the play. Farah believes that she just isn't good enough until she meets a group called the Tragedies, all of whom have also been rejected by the theatre company for reasons have an underlying tone. A chance meeting leads to Zayan and Farah pretending to be a couple and the Tragedies putting on a competing show.
This book will encourage difficult conversations, include about the way racism can be internalised and the way people can mentally minimise the harm that is taking place to them because it seems less than the harm others are experiencing. I think it would be a great asset to any library and a perfect talking point in classes.

Safa Ahmed's "The Girlfriend Act" is an enthralling tale of love, deception, and self-discovery. With captivating characters and a well-paced plot, this book seamlessly blends humor, drama, and romance. Ahmed's keen insights into human relationships and cultural nuances add depth to the story. A beautifully written and emotionally resonant read, this novel will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!

“I fell in love at eighteen. Not with a person, but with a feeling.”

This book centres around a Pakistani girl who moves to London to study at uni in hopes of becoming an actress/working in theatre. Her hopes are dashed when she’s told she isn’t “classically british” to be cast in a play of Romeo & Juliet.
This triggers a series of events where she joins a group called the tragedies & fake dates a famous Pakistani actor while putting on a play of her own of Heer Ranjha.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed parts but wasn’t a fan of others.
I wasn’t a fan of the romance. It wasn’t a halal romance and I wish it had been especially as they were fake dating.
While they don’t kiss etc they still do touch and at the end start to date. They mention being their forever person but that doesn’t make it okay to date in the meantime. I also wasn’t sold on the romance.

I really liked Farah but Zayan felt a little flat. I wish his arc had been more fleshed out especially how he felt disconnected from his heritage trying to please those in power in hollywood.

I really enjoyed other aspects of the book though. There was some great discussions on racism and micro aggressions especially in relation to being in the public eye and how that can affect someone.
There was also discussions on colourism in the Pakistani community and the privilege fairer skinned people have.

Farah had a great arc of learning to appreciate all aspects of herself and speak up against injustice and learning to navigate having to deal with being put down and not valued.

I loved The Girlfriend Act so much!! It was romantic, it was scandalous, it was sweet, it was dramatic and it was such a good read!! Honestly my camera roll is screenshot central — there were so many amazing hard hitting lines that had me like damn, I need to remember this.

The book really takes on the question: how much of yourself will you sacrifice to others to be able to achieve your dreams?

I really liked how this book took a look at representation and identity, and forced the characters to take a look at themselves — and the audience — on why we feel the need and the right to say somebody is not x enough, or that they don’t relate to that as part of their experience so it’s not correct. The book pulled down the monolith so many people hold themselves by.

I really liked how this book highlighted rhe racism and prejudice in the theatre community, especially when it came to casting POC in to “white” roles. We have seen this happen over and over in real time, such as with Ariel. Ahmed takes a look at this and examines this idea all throughout the book and I thought it was really well done.

I also like how this book said move over Shakespeare, you’re not the only worthwhile playwright in the house and showcased Pakistani stories.

I rally loved the MC Farah, and often found myself feeling angry when she was angry, sad when she was sad. I was fully invested in her story and ready to go to the ends of the Earth for her. I really loved Zayan too, and how we (and him!) got to see beneath the mask of his celebrity and discover why he made the decisions he did and what really made him happy.

I thought the plot was well done and again, very realistic. It unfortunately wasn’t hard to think of scenarios where this could, and has, happened. I also really loved how the fake date trope worked out, it’s one of my favourites!

So cute!
Thank you to the publisher for accepting my NetGalley request in exchange for an honest review.
I love the fake dating trope, so I couldn't wait to read this! The first encounter, the 'is this real or fake?', the realisations... it was all perfect. (And that epilogue🥹)
And then there were the friendships! I love when a book has some form of found family, even more so when they come together over one thing that happens which if it hadn't happened, they likely would've never met.
In this case, unfortunately, it's down to racism but the way they tackle the situation was really moving.
I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed rooting for the characters, I enjoyed blushing over the romance. I enjoyed this book. Highly recommend. :)

This book was so cute!!! If there’s one quote to convince you to read this book is: “I fell in love at eighteen. Not with a person, but with a feeling. This feeling.”

This was so super cute and such a fun read. I'm a theatre girl at heart so loads of this story really resonated - there is such joy in being on stage and this shone through in Ahmed's writing. The community of characters built up throughout the story felt fleshed out and I loved the way they interacted with each other, always with love even when holding each other accountable.

I'm not usually a fan of the whole fake dating trope, but the way Farah and Zayan continued to re-evaluaute how they saw each other felt so genuine and heartfelt. They were just so cute!

A lot of the power of this story for me was in how it manages to take complex issues like racism, colourism, and cultural identity, and not shy away from grappling with them through a YA fiction lens.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC !!!

THE GIRLFRIEND ACT is such a fun YA novel about an aspiring actress who has to pursue a PR relationship with her celebrity crush and it. was. everything.

I looove a fun romcom and this is such a well-done and important addition to the YA romcom scene – Farah, her fake boyfriend Zayan, and her new actor friends team up to take down a very racist acting company and this very meaningful plot was balanced sooo well with the wholesome friendship and relationship moments! Usually in romcoms I end up preferring the romance plot over the other plots but this is a rare one where I was just vibing and enjoying every page and taking in the story without needing to rush or feeling like I wasn't getting enough of something.

This was so engaging all around and I was totally obsessed and smiling throughout, the writing was really funny and I loved the text bubbles and tweets and articles, I looove that extra immersion in books!

thank you to Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

i'm not even into romcoms now but damn this book made me sob in a good way. positively in love!

I loved this! This follows Farah, an aspiring actor who auditions at a local London theatre only to be rejected for being Pakistani. After she rants her frustrations on Twitter, a group called The Tragedies find her with similar experiences to her own. From there, they decide to start up their own theatre production. Alongside that, Farah meets Zayan, a successful actor who recently got caught up in controversy when he stars in a racist TV show, and the two fake date as a way to get both publicity for the production and for Zayan to get a better public image.

I really loved this, it was so cute with wholesome friendships. The writing was really engaging and kept me hooked the whole time. It managed to balance wholesome and adorable with meaningful, important conversations.

One major theme of the book was how Farah is lighter. She is frequently confused on how she is on the receiving end of racism, while holding privilege, and how she navigates that with the help of her friends.

I also loved the emphasis on how the relationship can’t and shouldn’t be Farah’s whole life. She prioritises the people and things she cares about.

This felt like a love letter to theatre while criticising it for how it could do better to be a welcoming and open space for everyone, not just for a few.

There were some minor, minor issues I had with this (I’m not sure how they managed to pay for the production or where the talent came from for costume design, how they managed to get a stage, etc, although I did read this over a period of a few days so it’s possible it was mentioned and I forgot. As an example of very minor issues that might just be my fault, anyways!)

I highly recommend this and I’ll be looking out for this author in future.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I DID NOT expect this novel to have me sobbing!!! I went into this novel excited to read about brown character rep in a romcom but didn’t expect that some of my deepest insecurities about my cultural identity would be so beautifully articulated on the page. This book truly made me laugh and cry in turn as it explored the complexities of racism and colourism alongside a really fun romance. Now that I’ve finished the book, I feel as if I can trace the path the scenes took to take me on one incredible and emotional ride.
The Girlfriend Act follows Farah Sheikh and the whirlwind that becomes her life after she is unceremoniously rejected and dismissed at an audition for Romeo and Juliet by veiled racist comments. Determined to combat the prejudiced theatre company, she decides to put on her own production alongside the Tragedies – a group of students who were similarly rejected. Whilst getting their production underway, they meet former superstar Zayan Amin. The Tragedies need funding for their production and Zayan needs a publicity boost in the form of a fake romance with Farah.
I really loved following the main characters Zayan and Farah as they grew closer together, the trope fake dating drawing that out so wonderfully until the angst was physically painful to read. I also really loved the found family trope with The Tragedies. They were playful and fun, yet complex. The friendship between them all was never linear, but bumpy and messy. Yet when it came to the most important moments, they were always there for one another.
There were so many moments in this book where I felt seen and heard. I’m a British-Indian, not a British Pakistani, but there were things like chai, cake rusks and gulab jamun that just made me really happy to see being represented. There were moments like these so often, but I wanted to cherish them all and clasp them tightly in my palms.
As a writer myself, I think it’s so difficult to so clearly portray the complexities of racism and colourism but Safa Ahmed has done it wonderfully. I love that Farah – who is light-skinned enough to pass as white – was given a voice. Her moments of realisation really pulled at my heart chords – even just thinking about it makes me emotional! This is one of my favourite quotes:
‘Carving a sense of not belonging anywhere into me. I’m not light-skinned enough to be considered white, and not brown enough to be considered Pakistani – so where do I fit? Will I ever be enough for either side?’
It was as if someone had lifted the words in my heart, that feeling of being on the fringes or the periphery of belonging and never being enough. They spoke to my soul.
What’s perfect about The Girlfriend Act that it doesn’t just stop at Farah’s voice but gives voice to so many different experiences. It explores identity and aspirations alongside such a fun romance! I am just hopelessly in love with it.

“I fell in love at eighteen. Not with a person, but with a feeling. This feeling.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When aspiring actress Farah Sheikh accidentally goes viral for exposing a prejudiced theatre company, she decides to put on her own production with the Tragedies - a group of theatre kids who are similarly desperate to break into the industry. They have the crew, all they need now is a stage ... and money. Enter former superstar Zayan Amin. The deal? Zayan will star in and fund the Tragedies’ play, in exchange for a publicity boost generated by a new and (fake) romance with Farah. There’s just one problem: they can’t stand each other...

Farah is determined to follow her dreams, however she also has a tendency to second guess herself and her abilities, leaving her hesitant and unsure. She’s a great character, incredibly considerate of others and wanting the best for them. I really enjoyed seeing her push forward, making new friends and joining them in the fight to make a difference. She also takes no crap from anyone which is perfect when she has to deal with her grumpy costar! Farah is an all around great character!
Zayan is quite the grump and extremely guarded and closed off when we’re introduced to him. Floundering after a massive mistake, he is trying to find his feet once more in a life that was thrown upside down. Zayan is quite a complex character because there are so many sides and faces to him that initially it is difficult to suss him out and understand his motives. However, as the book progresses we get to know him more and what a character he is! We learn he is cautious and vulnerable and incredibly caring. I really liked seeing his softer side and I felt he only got better and better as we went along.

The fake dating trope is one of my favourites so when I saw the blurb for this book, I was immediately intrigued and knew I needed to jump in. The plot was pretty good overall. I found myself swept away in the story, scarcely noticing time passing which was excellent. The flow was brilliant too, going from event to event seamlessly and without issue. I think tackling such big issues like racism and colourism can be very tricky to handle sensitively but also pack a punch. However, Ahmed handles this flawlessly. The content was having me consider things I’d never thought of before - and had me challenging my unconscious bias which is brilliant. The characters felt all very well rounded and exciting to read. Some remained more in the background whilst others remained further on the reader’s radar but this worked for me. It ensured that the cast never felt too overwhelming to remember and take in. Romance wise, it was very angst heavy. There were exceeding amounts of yearning and denial of attraction - which is perfect for a fake dating/enemies to lovers situation - so I was rather happy! I do think the snippets of romance we did get were great too! The ending was super cute and perfectly wrapped up this wonderful story. Ahmed, you are brilliant!

Overall, The Girlfriend Act is another fabulous book to add to the fake dating trope!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for the ARC.

Safa Ahmed's 'The Girlfriend Act' is a great book! It has charming characters and an interesting plot that explores colourism in Pakistani/South Asian communities and racist discrimination in the theatre community.

Can't wait to read more of Safa Ahmed's books in the future!

I love a good underdog story and this one is one with a twist! I cannot wait to see and ai know readers will to if they find success in the Tragedies and maybe some love along the way too!