Review: Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Series: Perfect Chemistry Book #2
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Borrowed from Overdrive
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult
Publisher: Walker Children's

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

Carlos Fuentes doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path-just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren't easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

As the danger grows for Carlos, he's shocked to discover that it's this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he's never even dreamed possible?

Review

This has a lot of the same themes and plot elements as Perfect Chemistry. I think the first book is done better.

If the first one has insta-love this is like that times 1,000. I really can't see the shift from sort-of friends to "lovers". But I do like the idea of it. Kiara and her family are great. And I loved the great amount of Alex and Brittany. Carlos was a little too much of an asshole for me.

Looking at this now on a re-read it has a lot of similarities with Crash Into You by Katie McGarry. And McGarry's book is just so much better. It's kind of not fair to this book.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Series: Perfect Chemistry Book #1
Format: Ebook
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It: Borrowed from the Library (Overdrive)
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Inter-racial
Publisher: Walker Children's

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

Review

This is the third time I read this book-I'm pretty sure. I blew through it in a couple hours like the previous times. There are flaws I noticed this time around, but I stand by my original rating of 5 stars.

I'm definitely a fan of socio-economic differences romrances. If you add an inter-racial couple and I'm like an extra happy person. And Ms. Elkeles addresses the issues with these situations because it isn't all gumdrops and rainbows. It's also a pretty angsty and dramatic read which I think is what sucks me in. As long as I'm in the mood for it I love them.

The romance is kind of insta-lovey and not as well-developed as it could be. This especially shows with how extreme and dramatic Alex and Brittany can be in their decision. But I do still love them.

Even though there are issues with the writing, this book makes me happy and i'm sure I'll read it again.

Thanks for reading!
Holly