Publisher:
Bloomsbury
Release
Date: 14th
August 2014
Edition:
UK e-proof,
review copy
Other
Titles by this Author: How to Ruin a Summer Vacation,
How to Ruin My Teenage Life, How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputation, Perfect
Chemistry, Rules
of Attraction, Chain
Reaction, Paradise
Ashtyn’s
life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister’s back
at home after ten years – with a stepson in tow!
Derek
has a perfect body, THE sexiest smile and a car – Ashtyn’s only way to escape
her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take
Ashtyn on a ride she’ll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone
together, will Derek’s flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?
A
sweet and steamy romance from New
York Times bestselling author Simone
Elkeles.
I am a die-hard fan of Simone
Elkeles’ emotional, sexy and romantic stories of love over logic, and while Better Than Perfect isn’t my favourite of
hers, it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Our heroine, Ashtyn, is a
strange one. She gave me serious whiplash with her chopping and changing from
fragile and emotional to abrasive and impenetrable and it really stopped me
from forming a proper connection with her. I went from sympathising with Ashtyn
and egging her on to rolling my eyes. But saying that, she had brilliant
chemistry with Texan god, Derek. And yet I couldn’t help but compare them to
Brittany and Alex of Perfect Chemistry, the
epitome of sexual tension, and a bar I compare most YA couples to.
Derek and Ashtyn are tied
together in strange ways – pushed together when Ashtyn’s older sister who is
Derek’s stepmom moves back home with him in tow – throws Ash’s life into chaos.
Her feelings for her boyfriend battle with a burgeoning attraction to Derek, her
pride at being left behind butting heads with her need for a big sister and her
unrelenting love for football being testing at every corner.
It was a roadtrip (yay!) that
changed everything, as it always does. The string of discoveries that Derek and
Ashtyn made about themselves as they drove from Fairfield, Chicago to Texas for
Ash’s football camp and Derek to visit his grandmother, changed the game
dramatically. It led on to a classically cheesy and romantic ending that made
me heart smile.
As always, Simone Elkeles
delivered a quick, easy and involving read that I flew through effortlessly. I’m
already looking forward to the next book in the Wild Cards series.
Thanks to NetGalley and
Bloomsbury for the review copy.
Sophie
Even though I'm not usually a huge fan of American contemporary, unless it's really really good, this sounds awesome! A well written and insightful review x
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