ARC Book Review: The Love Con by Seressia Glass

He's cosplaying as her boyfriend but their feelings for each other are real in this romantic comedy from Seressia Glass.

Sometimes Kenya Davenport believes she was switched at the hospital--how else could a lover of anime, gaming, and cosplay come from STEM parents? Still, Kenya dreams of being able to turn her creative hobby into a career. She finally has a chance to make it big when she joins the reality show competition Cosplay or No Way.

There's just one catch: the challenge for the final round is all about iconic pairs, and the judges want the contestants' significant others to participate. Unfortunately, Kenya is as single as can be at the moment. Luckily her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, agrees to be her fake boyfriend for the show.
Roleplaying a couple in love will force them to explore what they're hiding under the mask of friendship. Can Kenya and Cam fake it until she makes it, or will she be real about her feelings, knowing it could cost her the best friend she's ever had?

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Kindle  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Target  |  Walmart

Books-A-Million  |  Bookshop.org  |  Book Depository

This book is perfect for anyone who loved Spoiler Alert. As a veteran Comic-Con attendee, I have genuine respect for cosplayers. I can't sew to save my life, so kudos to you if you make your own costume. I'm also a big fan of rom-coms so the blurb of The Love Con caught my attention. This book has it all. We have the friends to lovers/fake dating, a confident plus-sized female lead, interracial romance, pop culture references, and some fabulous tension between the two main characters. The pace was a little fast, but not too abrupt. Kenya and Cameron's relationship has a solid foundation based on friendship and it's clear that they genuinely care about each other. Prior to the story, there is some mutual attraction (à la opposites attract), but nothing happened between the two until the cosplay competition. As individuals, Kenya and Cameron have well-developed personalities and quirks that make them loveable. On a side note, I liked about the author, Seressia Glass, approached microaggression and fatphobia. Women are already sexualized and in the cosplaying sphere, sexual harassment is rampant. Having a bigger gal as the female lead, who has a love for cosplaying and geek/pop culture, provides a refreshing and welcome change in perspective. 

4 stars

About the Author

Photo Credit: Porsha Antalan of Femqua Productions

Seressia Glass is an award-winning author of romance and urban fantasy. She lives south of Atlanta with her husband, son, two attack poodles, and a bulldozer of a Cane Corso. When not writing, she likes to collect purple things, jewelry and spends way too much time watching K-dramas and anime.

Website  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  Twitter