Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2)

by Simone Elkeles

[nitzan_schwarz]

2015 tbr challenge + cleaning my shelves 2015

3.5 stars
Originally posted on my blog. 

This book has been up on my TBR list for a while now, since I read the first book approximately two and a half years ago. And since it was a birthday gift from Megs, I thought it was high-time I read it!

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I'm not disappointed in it, if that's what you might be wondering. I think it was about as good as the first in the series, which raises an awkward question - how can that possibly be true if you gave the first 5 stars and this one 3.5?!

Well, here's the deal. Perfect Chemistry was one of the first contemporaries I read, and maybe the first Mature YA I did. I didn't have much to compare it to, so it suitably impressed me. Truth is, I don't remember much of the book, aside for the whole sex scene, and I only remember that because I wasn't used to seeing that in YA. Today, I'll probably give Perfect Chemistry about 3.5 stars as well.

But enough about it's predecessor, let's talk about Rules of Attraction. Rules of Attraction is one of these books I think are perfect when you're in need of a story to suck you in and separate you from reality. While I wasn't head over heels in love with it, I definitely kept reading. And reading. And reading. In that aspect, it was perfect.

In this installment of the series, we follow Carlos and Kiara.

I didn't love Carlos, at first. By the end of the first chapter, I thought him a stupid brat that needs to grow up, and I just hopedhe gets better as the story goes. He did, but a bit too quickly for my taste. Elkeles rushed a bit to the "relax, he's not really like that" part, for example by letting Carlos tell us almost immediately the real reason he was fired. I feel like if you already made him seem like a total jerk, let us work a bit to get to the true him.

Still, I guess I can't really complain because I liked that Carlos a lot more than the one we met at first.

Then we have Kiara. Her, I loved. She really stood up for herself, all the time. She wasn't afraid to take shots. Well, she was, but she didn't let fear stop her. She wasn't scared of challenging Carlos - or standing up to him. All of which is in complete contrast to the shy girl everyone thinks she is because of the stutter she's been born with.

The part I felt the book lacked in was actually the romance. Yes, I just said that. I was actually on board until half way through. I thought it was decently building, and I liked them together. But if it was a steady climb the first half, it became a race in the second. Suddenly, there were declarations of love, and sappy words, and inability to be without one another, etc. It was too... rushed, to me.

I saw no reason they should be there so soon. This is something I find lacking in many books. Few actually execute the romance in a way I find perfect.

But, as House says above, this book is cute. Carlos and Kiara together are adorable, even if I thought they needed more time to get to the love stage. And it was fun, and it sucked me in, and I do think it's a good book. I just don't think it's A-mazing.

Originally posted on my blog.