Book Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

This book should come with a warning label. Caution: Read only if you want to glare at your husband accusingly because he’s not a tattooed, leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding, Mexican gangbanger that calls you mamacita. 

Oh, Alex Fuentes. Muy sexy!

The blurb of Perfect Chemistry, from Goodreads:

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.

This book is so good! Like, seriously, people. I read it in one sitting. I literally did not get up from my couch except to make more tea three times and to pee (TMI?) from the moment I opened the first page until it was finished. I squealed too many times to count. I re-read passages because they were so sexy I couldn’t stand it. I put the book down because I felt I was rushing through it and should take a break and then instantly realized what a horrible mistake I’d made. Sure, this book has a few clichés, a few cheeseball moments, but you know what? When a book is this well done, this AMAZING, I just don’t give a shit. Not one single shit. I’m in love with this book. Here’s why.

Things I loved about Perfect Chemistry:

-All the things. All of them.

-The romance. God, it was so well done! You think the plotline of bad boy meets good girl, romance ensues, is tired and overdone? You’re wrong. Read this book and prepare to swoon.

-The humor. Alex and his buddies are muy divertido! (Thank you, Google Translate). Which brings me to my next point:

-Chichis? Mamacita? Nina? Why oh why isn’t someone catcalling me in Spanish right now?

-The dual points of view. I loved reading from both Brittany’s north-sider and Alex’s south-sider perspectives. Elkeles did a great job showing how different yet similar their lives were.

-Oh, I could go on forever—the supporting characters? Outstanding. The disabled sister plotline? Heartrending. The mystery surrounding Alex’s dad’s death? Intriguing. But I’ll just stop here. Because Rules of Atrraction by Simone Elkeles is calling my name and I’m a sucker for a good romance.