WE ARE NEVER GETTING TOGETHER, by Janette Rallison, Shadow Mountain, April 7, 2026, $19.99 (young adult)
Two feuding teenagers pretend to be in love to keep their parents apart in We Are Never Getting Together, by Janette Rallison.
Madeline and Cooper have had bad blood since junior year when she beat out his sister for the lead in the school play. Ever since, it’s been one petty escalation after another—rumors, locker sabotage, and even a derogatory viral video. Their latest prank lands them in the principal’s office with their single parents in tow. The last thing either of them expected was for their parents to hit it off and end the meeting with a dinner date.
Horrified by the prospect of their parents falling in love, Madeline and Cooper reach a truce. They’ll reverse parent-trap the situation by pretending their feud is over and they’re in a relationship. They’re positive that by fake-dating, their parents will stop seeing each other.
When a fake kiss meant for only their parents to see is witnessed by Cooper’s friends, rumors spread like wildfire that Cooper and Madeline are an item. The longer their fake-relationship continues, the more they discover that there may be things they actually like about each other, although neither is ready to admit it. But how long are Madeline and Cooper willing to keep up the ruse before they have to face the consequences of their actions? —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
We Are Never Getting Together is a sweet YA rom-com with an enemies-to-lovers twist that’s destined to get messy along the way.
The book plays out through the alternating viewpoints of Madeline and Cooper. Madeline is a theater nerd who dreams of making it big. She’s driven to be a success in all that she does especially when it comes to maintaining the status quo. Cooper is a football star who hopes he can make a college career happen. He loves to have a good time and is loyal to a fault
We Are Never Getting Together starts out strong with a pair of competing pranks that ultimately land Madeline and Cooper in hot water. Descriptions of previous shenanigans make it clear that the two are both clever and devious. While Madeline and Cooper happy to dish out payback, there’s always an undercurrent of humor that punctuates their pranks.
Author Janette Rallison has a clear voice, bringing her main characters together with charm and smile-worthy moments. Her plot is not entirely predictable, but typical tropes — the mean girl rival and an unexpected enemy — do make an appearance.
Madeline and Cooper are both likeable characters, and they feel rooted in reality. Their story plays out as expected, and their chemistry is strong.
We Are Never Getting Together is a fast-moving rom-com that’s a nice escape for an evening or weekend read.
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