The Dating Debate (Dating Dilemmas)

by Chris Cannon

Nina Barnes thinks Valentine’s Day should be optional. That way single people like her wouldn’t be subjected to kissy Cupids all over the place. That is, until her mom moves them next door to the brooding hottie of Greenbrier High, West Smith. He’s funny, looks amazing in a black leather jacket, and he’s fluent in Harry Potter, but she’s not sure he’s boyfriend material.

West isn’t sure what to make of Nina. She’s cute and loves to read as much as he does, but she seems to need to debate everything and she has a pathological insistence on telling the truth. And West doesn’t exactly know how to handle that, since his entire life is a carefully constructed secret. Dating the girl next door could be a ton of fun, but only if Nina never finds out the truth about his home life. It’s one secret that could bring them together or rip them apart.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book is not for anyone who has to get in the last word, but it is for all book nerds, especially those who live next door to so called unapproachable gorgeous guys. There’s no debating the chemistry.

• ISBN10: 1983998826
• ISBN13: 9781983998829
• Publish Date: 22 January 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 230
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I almost never pass up an opportunity to read an Entangled contemporary, because I know I will get a low angst, low drama story with a sweet romance and likable characters. Once again, I got what I expected with The Dating Debate.

Who?

Nina, an avid reader, who had sworn off all boys, except fictional ones, following the demise of her parents' marriage. She was still reeling from the betrayal and abandonment her father inflicted on her, and was struggling with trust issues.

West, the boy next door, with his brooding good looks and his lone wolf approach to life. He appeared to be content with his solitary status, but was actually weighed down by a family secret.

What?

When Nina butted in and saved West from his ex-girlfriend, he concocted a lie, that he and Nina would be attending the Valentine's dance together. This led to forced time together, and eventually, real attraction. However, as West and Nina grew closer, he was forced to decide between letting Nina in or protecting his family secret.

Why?

I found The Dating Debate to be a fun read. There were quite a few things that charmed me, and I smiled quite often as I read this book.

•West and Nina were easy to ship. I liked both of them, and also liked them together. They would get into these "arguments", which Nina would always call "debates", but they were not dramatic. In fact, they were often quite amusing. They were very sweet together too, and I appreciated the way their romance grew slowly.

•I actually found Nina's love for books adorable. She had these dates with her best friend, where they would go to the book store and loiter in the cafe and read. She also often wore bookish merch, and even discussed the importance of having the hardcover, paperback, and ebook version of the same book.

•I thought "the secret" was handled well. We saw the effect it had on the person suffering from the problem as well as the family members.

•West was a complicated boy, and it really broke my heart when he finally opened up to his parents about how their secret was affecting his life. I loved seeing him let his guard down with Nina, because the boy really needed to be able to do that sometimes.

•Gidget, the dog, was pretty fabulous. She stole just about every scene she was in.

•There was this side plot, that seemed a little random at first, but then I sort of understood its purpose. I may not have fully embraced the secondary plot, but I got a grand gesture out of it, and you all know how I love me a grand gesture. Therefore, I was happy.

•I got an epilogue!!! I always want more. I want to know what happened after, and this epilogue was the perfect kind of epilogue for me. It was jump ahead, and it made me very happy.

Overall: A sweet romance, punctuated with quirky characters, fun "debates", and lots of bookish love.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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