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344 pp.
| HarperTeen
| June, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-264196-0$17.99
(3)
YA
Teenagers Ryan and Dalila are star-crossed from the start: he is a self-proclaimed bad boy from Texas, and she's the studious daughter of a powerful attorney in Mexico. After a chance meeting at a concert, their lives unexpectedly intertwine and it doesn't take long for sparks to fly. This intense romance is told from the passionate protagonists' alternating perspectives.
344 pp.
| Walker
| October, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-3437-2$17.99
(4)
YA
After Derek gets kicked out of boarding school, he reluctantly agrees to move to Chicago with his stepmother, Brandi. There, he's instantly drawn to Ashtyn (Brandi's sister), a feminine but tough football player--and vice versa. Even with a recognizable formula (especially to fans of the author's Perfect Chemistry trilogy) and two-dimensional characters, Elkeles manages to make the romance sizzle.
310 pp.
| Walker
| August, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-2087-0$17.99
(4)
YA
Perfect Chemistry series.
Like his older brothers Alex (Perfect Chemistry) and Carlos (Rules of Attraction), Luis falls hard for a beautiful girl, Nikki, with whom he has little in common. Also, Nikki has trust issues, and Luis's involvement in a gang threatens their relationship. Series fans will gladly look past the artificial writing to find that the romance is just as passionate and tempestuous as in the previous books.
302 pp.
| Walker
| April, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8027-2085-6$16.99
(4)
YA
Carlos resents being shipped from Mexico to Colorado to live with his brother Alex (Perfect Chemistry). After being caught with drugs, Carlos must stay with the white upper-class Westfords to avoid jail. His attitude improves, though, as he gets to know Kiara Westford. Carlos and Kiara's passionate, illicit relationship will entice romantic readers, but the appeal is tempered by awkwardly self-conscious writing.
(4)
YA
Brittany and Alex couldn't be more different: she's her school's golden girl, and he's a tough gang member. When they are partnered for chemistry class, however, each one realizes there's more beneath the other's surface image. The two do have an unmistakable attraction, but self-conscious writing and dialogue detract from the romance.