Crossing the Line - Review

Crossing the Line

By: Simone Elkeles

Expected Publication: June 12th 2018 by HarperTeen

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A high-stakes story of star-crossed lovers from Simone Elkeles, the New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series

To escape his abusive stepdad, bad boy Ryan Hess runs from his tiny Texas border town to Mexico. But his plans to keep his head down and stay out of trouble are shattered the minute he meets the beautiful and totally out of his league Dalila Sandoval.

Dalila Sandoval shouldn’t even know someone like Ryan Hess. The daughter of one of the wealthiest lawyers in Mexico, Dalila is focused on studying and planning for her bright future. Ryan is only a distraction from her dreams, but she’s never felt more alive than when she’s by his side.

Ryan and Dalila are wrong for each other in every way. And yet they can’t resist the sparks that fly when they’re together. But their love is like a flame burning too close to the fuse.

Something is going to explode. Will their love be strong enough to survive? Or will it burn them both?

I'm a fan of Simone Elkeles. Even though my first book by her wasn't a huge hit for me, every one of her other books were really enjoyable for me so when I saw Crossing the Line I was really excited. However, Crossing the Line was a little bit of a let down for me.

My biggest issue with Crossing the Line was the moments that seemed to stretch the imagination. And Crossing the Line had many of those moments. I mean does anyone use really personal information like a nickname as their password here in 2018? Ok maybe some people do, but a powerful attorney? One who would have potentially highly classified information from clients past and present in their possession? Yeah? Probably not. How about when you're trying to avoid being seen or caught by potential bad guys and your truck breaks down? You just decide to sleep in the BED of the truck that night? Oh but that's not all. You do the deed? REALLY? Because that's what you should really be doing in the back of a truck, at night, when you're trying to keep a low profile. The relationship between Ryan and Dalila went from zero to one-hundred pretty quickly. One minute they're still denying to have any connection and the next minute they're talking about their futures together. It was jarring for me how quickly that change came about which left it feeling a bit unrealistic. Do four-star hotels take check-ins without a credit card? In my experience they don't. That's because if you want anything like room service, pay per view, or the mini bar they can charge those things to the room which will charge your card. And when you've stumbled upon a brutal murder what's the first thing you should do? TOUCH THE BODY. Clean the face of the deceased and then decide to BURY THEM? Because the authorities won't need to do any investigating, right? Oh goodness. I'm sorry guys. Some of these things were just minor things and some were used to advance the story even though they're not realistic, but each of these incidences took me out of the story and caused me to roll my eyes big time. And some of these things were so brutally stupid that I wonder how they made it past editing.

Ryan and Dalila were both decent characters. Each were fairly fleshed out with backgrounds, motivations, and fears. Although, I felt that Ryan was a bit more developed than Dalila. I was fine rooting for the relationship. I specifically liked the flirting between the two before things were more concrete between them. But I also felt like things moved too fast. I didn't feel like the two knew each other well enough to have moved into the level of feelings they claimed to have or the physical level they reached.

My second biggest issue with Crossing the Line was how emotion driven it was. This is an odd thing for me to complain about because usually I love and devour books driven by emotion. But I guess my struggle was that the emotions didn't feel mature or healthy exactly. Ryan has the self-deprication thing down thinking he's unworthy of Dalila. This isn't surprising given his background. But it also isn't exactly healthy. The whole "made me feel" thing...while sure we certainly feel emotions as a result and reaction to other people, I've been struggling with the idea that no one else can make us feel anything. We are in charge of our own emotions and to advertise differently is to weaken the power within each one of us. At one point Dalila asks Ryan what he's thinking about and when he doesn't go into a soliloqy about his love for her she's disappointed. I loathe the "it feels so right that it can't be wrong" mantra because that's nothing short of what drug addicts or alcoholics must think. And to let our emotions rule us beyond reason is no better than either of these addictions. Dalila also asks Ryan to be open with her while immediately thinking that she doesn't intend to be open with him. Talk about hypocrisy. Not exactly the best foundation for a relationship. Not to mention the repeated lies Dalila tells him. So I guess while normally I love relationships where the love between two characters drives the story, the relationship between these two didn't exactly give me the warm and fuzzies due to the immaturity and unhealthy nature of some of the statements mentioned above.

In relation to the major plot line of the mystery behind who the bad guys are, every single thing that I predicted came true. I was starting to wonder if I was wrong in my guesses, but nope. Turned out right. I don't say this to brag that I figured it out, but to point out that I don't enjoy predicting every twist. I actually enjoy being surprised. Yet that didn't happen for me in Crossing the Line. And actually, similarly to my frustration with how quickly Ryan and Dalila jumped in their relationship from zero to together, I felt the same way with how quickly things wrapped up, all of the bad guys were revealed and their motives as well. It all felt too rushed to me.

I know that after reading this review one could conclude that I really disliked Crossing the Line? But that wasn't the case. I did enjoy it. Minus these issues. The things I took issue with were just easy to point out. Despite my frustrations Crossing the Line gets 3 Stars. Have you read Crossing the Line ? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Crossing the Line

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Crossing the Line

By: Simone Elkeles

Expected Publication: June 12th 2018 by HarperTeen

352 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A high-stakes story of star-crossed lovers from Simone Elkeles, the New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series

To escape his abusive stepdad, bad boy Ryan Hess runs from his tiny Texas border town to Mexico. But his plans to keep his head down and stay out of trouble are shattered the minute he meets the beautiful and totally out of his league Dalila Sandoval.

Dalila Sandoval shouldn’t even know someone like Ryan Hess. The daughter of one of the wealthiest lawyers in Mexico, Dalila is focused on studying and planning for her bright future. Ryan is only a distraction from her dreams, but she’s never felt more alive than when she’s by his side.

Ryan and Dalila are wrong for each other in every way. And yet they can’t resist the sparks that fly when they’re together. But their love is like a flame burning too close to the fuse.

Something is going to explode. Will their love be strong enough to survive? Or will it burn them both?

I've really enjoyed all of the books by Simone Elkeles that I've read so far. What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Chain Reaction - Review

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, # 3)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: August 16th 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

319 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl,

Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

I have really enjoyed reading about the Fuentes brothers. Alex, the oldest and lead in Perfect Chemistry, started out in a gang but went through the dangerous process of being jumped out because he wanted more for his family. Carlos, the middle child and lead in Rules of Attraction, wanted to prove that he was the tough guy and in some ways sought out being in a gang. And then there's Luis. He's lived a bit more sheltered of a life. He's the smart kid. The one in the family with a plan--he wants to be an astronaut. The problem is that trouble follows the Fuentes boys, and Luis is no exception. It doesn't help that he seems to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

I enjoyed how Chain Reaction started out a bit different. I wasn't sure that I was going to like how things started with Luis and Nikki being so young. The book starts with them both being just fifteen years old, but then jumps ahead two years. The beginning was necessary to set up how much anger Nikki has, specifically directed towards the Latino Blood, and how easy Luis had things back in Colorado plus how quickly things can get away from you when thrown into the wrong group of people.

Nikki was a tough nut for Luis to crack. She's feisty because she's been hurt in the past. She's been through a lot that only a few have any knowledge about. She's even aloof with her friends sometimes. I could understand her hesitation. Luis himself was somewhat frustrating to me. His strategy of finding out what Chuy from the Latino Blood wanted with him frustrated me a little. He really caused more problems for himself than need be.

Ultimately, Chain Reaction wasn't my favorite of the series. I enjoyed how it was different from the other two. I enjoyed that Nikki was Latina herself even though she wasn't as immersed initially into the culture as Luis. And I read this one just as quickly as the previous two. I also really appreciated the presence of the other characters: Alex, Brittany, Paco, Carlos, Kiara, and even Mama Fuentes. Chain Reaction gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Chain Reaction? What did you think? Let me know!

Rules of Attraction - Review

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, # 2)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: January 6th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

326 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the library

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Goodreads description--When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

I really wasn't sure until close to the end of Perfect Chemistry if this series was going to carry on following Alex and Brittany or move on to other characters. Because Perfect Chemistry wrapped up the way that it did I figured the following books would follow other characters, and I was both excited and disappointed to find out that this was in fact the case. I liked Alex and Brittany so much that I hoped to read more of them, but to find that Rules of Attraction is about Alex's younger brother, Carlos, was exciting too. Even though this book was about different main characters, Alex and Brittany are both very present and their storyline progresses throughout as well.

I expected Carlos's story to be him and Destiny--the girl he was crushing on during Perfect Chemistry--but I'm glad that wasn't the case because how often do we get stuck on one crush throughout our early teens? I wasn't expecting to find that Carlos is almost excited about the gang life that his brother almost died to escape. At least that's the way he comes off at first. Of course, we learn that there's more to it than him just seeking out dangerous people and situations. Even when he was living in Mexico for a brief time his family was being threatened unless he joined up. And that's why he's sent to live with his brother in Colorado.

I liked Kiara early in the book. When she's assigned to help Carlos around the new school for his first week the two don't exactly hit things off. I loved that Kiara chooses to prank Carlos as a way of retaliation for his smart (and he thinks smooth) mouth. After a run in with the police over some drugs, a judge determines that Carlos needs a more stable home environment. Kiara's parents take him in, and the two are forced into close quarters. A small thing that I noted is how Kiara mentions that she's not skinny in an intimate moment with Carlos. This isn't something mentioned over and over throughout the book. She didn't seem to have a complex, but she did seem a little insecure. I thought this was spot on for so many girls out there.

I enjoyed how Kiara and Carlos moved into exclusivity without much of a fight or the typical angst that might come from many other teens. Of course, Carlos has a way of finding trouble so things aren't completely easy between these two all the time. Not to give too much away, but I liked how Carlos didn't tackle his biggest issues alone.

I don't think I enjoyed Rules of Attraction quite as much as Perfect Chemistry, but it is really rare for me to enjoy book 2 in a series better than book 1. That being said, I still blew through this book so quickly because even if I liked book 1 better, Rules of Attraction is still really good. Rules of Attraction gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Rules of Attraction? What did you think? Let me know!

Perfect Chemistry - Review

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, # 1)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: January 6th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

359 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the library

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Goodreads description--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. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

So I was reading Archer's Voice, and while I wasn't hating it...it just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I decided to put it down in favor of trying to find something I could read very quickly. So I went to the e-library to browse their "available now" collection. I saw Perfect Chemistry and considering how quickly I read Leaving Paradise, I thought it might be the perfect book to hook me quickly and hold my attention. And I was spot on.

Perfect Chemistry is another book I started without reading the description. I only knew that I'd really enjoyed several books by Simone Elkeles in the past. I was surprised and intrigued to find out that the leading male of the story belongs to a gang--Latino Blood. So I grew up in a small town (we had a caution light), and even though we didn't have an over abundance of gang activity like a big city, they were present. Simone Elkeles did a really good job incorporating this aspect of the story. Alex's gang affiliation fit with my limited personal knowledge of gangs. And I was interested to see how this hard-core character would translate into a romantic lead. Simone Elkeles did a great job. We all know that girls love a good bad-boy, and things don't get much "badder" than a guy in a gang. I have to say that I've seen this in TV and movies, but I don't think I've ever read a book where one of the main characters was in a gang.

I was worried that I would struggle with Brittany in the beginning of the book. She wants so much to portray this image of perfection, but I honestly felt like that was more a burden that was being placed on her by her mother than something she truly wanted for herself. That made her easier to relate to. It's one thing to have a character who is trying to live up to impossible standards, but it's another thing to have a character who is so shallow she wants everyone to think she's perfect. The prior made her more likeable, and I could easily respect and relate to her.

Of course, Brittany and Alex have more in common than the two could possibly expect. I loved how their relationship started out of antagonism rather than attraction. Neither one was really out to win the other even with the bet involved it seemed. Of course, Alex did move things along more than Brittany, but I always got the impression that he was having to remind himself of the bet rather than behaving in any specific way because of the bet.

I worried that Perfect Chemistry wouldn't have the hard core realities of being involved in a gang, but I felt like it did a good job. Alex was truly a tough guy without being unlikeable. I never felt like Simone Elkeles copped out of the true dangers of being involved in a lifestyle like this. She showed how often people get dragged into the life without truly wanting that for themselves or their families. And she showed how easily choices go from black and white to gray.

Simone Elkeles did a great job of getting me invested in both of these characters. I wanted to know if they could bridge the gap of their extremely different worlds to come together. I couldn't stop thinking about Alex and Brittany when I had to put the book down. Even though I'm not fluent in Spanish, I found myself throwing in a few Spanish words or phrases into my daily thoughts while I was reading this which I found hilarious any time it happened. I was impressed with the lack of description when it came to any physical scenes, but language was definitely present.

Overall, I was really impressed with Perfect Chemistry. I was hooked and invested in the characters and story. I was impressed with the lack of physical description. I enjoyed the originality of the leading male being involved in a gang. I can't remember ever reading a book where this was the case. And the true test, I couldn't stop thinking about Perfect Chemistry any time I needed to put it down. Perfect Chemistry gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Perfect Chemistry? What did you think? Let me know!

Return to Paradise - Review

Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise, # 2)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: September 1st 2010 by Flux

291 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the library

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Goodreads description--Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She's determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

The Sequel to LEAVING PARADISE From the New York TimesBestselling Author of RULES OF ATTRACTION

Praise for Leaving Paradise
"Elkeles writes convincingly about family tensions, retreating from painful reality, and teens outgrowing their old skins." —School Library Journal

"Elkeles creates raw emotions, dialogue, and high-school ambience that’s just right… [A] delicate, delicious love story."—Booklist

Okay so we found out at the end of Leaving Paradise that Caleb wasn't actually the one who hit Maggie the night that changed everything. Instead his twin sister Leah did and Caleb decided to take the fall for it. I loved how Simone Elkeles played up Caleb being the hero and taking the fall throughout the entire story of Leaving Paradise. However, Caleb's come to a place where carrying the blame for something he didn't do is leaving him with nothing but bitterness. This reminds me of Defending Taylor where I was mad at Taylor for becoming bitter when the boy she took the fall for didn't stand up and take responsibilty for his actions because he never asked her to take the fall for him. She volunteered. And while Leah did come to Caleb for help, she also didn't really ask him to take responsibilty either. Yet, there's a big difference between getting kicked out of some fancy private school and going to jail for a year and having a permanent record as a convicted felon. I think Caleb's case is a bit more serious. However, it did make me rethink my harsh judgment of Taylor's feelings. Caleb's guilty verdict in this accident has changed every single relationship in his life. And at the place where we begin Return to Paradise none of these changes were for the better. It's no wonder that he's become bitter by the way everyone acts like he was bound to end up in this place because he's such a bad person when he never did the crime they believe him to have committed in the first place. When who you are as viewed by the world is based on a lie there's no wonder when you feel like no one knows you and no one understands you. You can't keep a secret like this forever and come out unchanged by it.

Maggie realized at the end of Leaving Paradise that it wasn't Caleb's fault. Yet Caleb leaves Paradise because he doesn't trust Maggie with this secret. While he's gone, Maggie makes peace with Leah. She's made peace with her new life, her new phyiscal limitations. And she's planning a trip to Spain (again). But before she goes, she's joined up on a program to travel around to schools and camps and programs to share with others how reckless driving has impacted her life. What she didn't expect was for Caleb to be assigned to this program as well in exchange for keeping him out of jail--for real this time, not juvie.

Caleb has a real chip on his shoulder and he must work through his feelings and the truth about the accident in order to move forward. He must find a way to trust Maggie--and others--with the truth. He needs to confront his sister to let her know what bearing her guilt has really cost him. He needs to patch things up with his parents. Maggie has a few things to work out on her own too. Caleb not trusting her and leaving is a repeat of her father's actions. She has to work through how family is often the people who choose to be in our lives and not always those we share blood with. And I absolutely loved that Maggie is the shining example of how to move forward and offer forgiveness for Caleb. She forgave Caleb when she thought it was him that caused the accident, and she forgave Leah when she remembered the true events of the night as well. Kudos to her for being able to do what so many others wouldn't.

Return to Paradise had a lot of ground to cover. There was much conflict that needed to be worked through and overcome. But I blew through it all. I couldn't stop reading. And Simone Elkeles covered each piece in a way that felt authentic and allowed me to experience the emotions of the characters. I very much enjoyed Return to Paradise. This series and this book was exactly what I was in the mood for at the right time. Return to Paradise gets 4 Stars. Have you read Return to Paradise? What did you think? Let me know!

Leaving Paradise - Review

Leaving Paradise (Paradise, # 1)

By: Simone Elkeles

Published: April 8th 2007 by Flux

303 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from library

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Goodreads description--Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

I remember seeing Leaving Paradise on a lot of blog hauls a few years back. I didn't have a particular reason for not picking it up then, but it's been on my TBR list since then. Well the other night I was scrolling through my library's list of "available now" books and saw Leaving Paradise. It sounded like just what I needed at that moment. And it turns out that I was right. I finished Leaving Paradise in just two days.

Caleb goes to jail for a year for driving drunk and hitting Maggie Armstrong with his car when he swerved to miss a squirrel and then left the scene of the accident. Truthfully, that seems like an easy sentencing to me even with him being a minor, but I know that the justice system can be all over the place. Caleb's spent the last year just waiting to get back home and get his life back to normal. But nothing will ever be the same for him. You can't go backward. Only forward. Caleb's family is suffering from a breakdown due to the accident. Everyone seems to be a shell of who they were before. His mother wants to put on a facade for the world and pretend everything's just fine. His father is content to give his mother anything she wants. And his sister has turned goth.

Maggie wants nothing more than to move forward. She's tired of looking around at everything she can no longer have. Her best friend, Caleb's sister, is no longer speaking to her. She can't play tennis. Her dad's new family. Her limp. She just wants to leave Paradise and go to Spain in a foreign exchange program. But when Caleb is released from jail, Maggie is suddenly forced to deal with a lot of the feelings she has regarding the accident and her life since. When she's forced into being around Caleb every day, she realizes that he might be the only person she can talk to about the accident because his life has changed as much as hers has.

Obviously these two begin to develop feelings for each other. And well the accident wasn't as black and white as it might appear. That was easily spotted for me from the very beginning of the book so I wasn't surprised in the least. But I still enjoyed the way it played into the story and how it shaped both Maggie and Caleb.

Favorite quotes:

-It's hard keeping everything the same when the same things look and feel so different.

I really liked both of our main characters a lot. I liked seeing the growth in both of them as well as the obstacles that they had to overcome. The family that should have been supportive wasn't always or was too much. And sometimes it's the ones who you feel that you don't owe anything to that you can really open up and be yourself with.

In the end, I enjoyed Leaving Paradise. I thought the writing was really good even though the big secret was pretty obvious. I liked the characters and totally understood why and how they could end up in a relationship. I liked the ending because it made me want to pick up book 2 immediately (which I did). And I liked that while there was some language, things were kept pretty toned down. Leaving Paradise gets 4 Stars. Have you read Leaving Paradise? What did you think? Let me know!

Wild Cards - Review

Wild Cards (Wild Cards, # 1)

By: Simone Elkeles

Expected Publication: September 24th 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers

288 pages

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

When I saw in the description of Wild Cards that this book is about a girl who plays football, I almost checked out immediately. For one, I'm actually not a football fan so much. But this is such a unique concept in the world of YA literature that I figured it might be nice to give it a shot and read about something different. Surely the challenges facing a young girl who dreams of playing football for college can't be the same challenges facing the typical main character who's a senior in high school. And well...they're not.

Told from dual POVs, I connected with both Derek and Ashtyn pretty quickly. Derek is somewhat adrift in life with his mother having passed away a year or two back and his father being deployed in the military. He's just trying to find a distraction until he's old enough to be on his own. Ashtyn on the other hand is trying to get noticed--by her father, her sister, her nephew, her dog, her boyfriend, college scouts...whoever will pay her some attention. Ashtyn and Derek develop an easy, bantering relationship. They both pick on each other and drive each other bananas. But they both also know there's something more there. They both fight the relationship because Ashtyn thinks she knows that Derek will hurt her, and essentially Derek thinks he's leaving soon and he doesn't want to break her heart when he does.

I couldn't help but find some of Wild Cards cheesy. The writing had some parts that I felt like could have been polished some more, but I found there were some deeper messages about how our past scars us and our thinking and how to move past that. Lessons about what's worth fighting for and how love and life often change our plans for us. And how not to make the same mistakes twice. These parts were probably my favorite.

Overall I was pleased with Wild Cards and it turned out to be more than I was expecting. I'm giving Wild Cards 4 Stars. Have you read Wild Cards? What did you think? Let me know!