Chain Reaction

Perfect Chemistry #3

by Simone Elkeles

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?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, High School, Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

310 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Simone Elkeles is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of novels for teens. Simone’s books have won many awards including being YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, being named to the YALSA Popular Paperbacks and Teens Top Ten lists, and added to the Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List. Simone also won the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry. Simone is especially proud of the fact that the Illinois Association of Teachers of English named her Author of the Year.

Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.

She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad”) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.

Reviews

[Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book description on the CHAIN REACTION jacket.

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until
he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

_______June 29_______


[image error]
droll much? LOL

_______June 27_______
you know this?

A still photo of the trailer.
Nikki Cruz! played by the stunning Krislian Rodriguez and Simone pick her herself.
She is SO beautiful!

_______Nov 19_______
Simone Elkeles just posted the cover of Chan Reaction in her Facebook. OMG! Totally amazing... and HOT! hello SHOWER alert!!!!! And if you stare intensely in the cover there's something in their hands (Its handcuffs.. I think) connected up in the shower sprinkler. I just noticed. haha

Cant wait to have a copy of this one. I wish im the girl in that cover.
Damn hot Fuentes brothers.

_______Sept 01_______
I read the details about it in other blog and i think this sounds interesting. And Its about time Ms. Simone made a badass chica. hahaha

I wonder if its like this video:

http://www.facebookvideodown.com/sana...

[Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* · Rating 5 out of 5]

IN DECEMBER 2010, BEFORE READING…

Muy caliente! HOT cover! To be released 24th May 2011
16th August 2011. Bring it!

I've had LUKE PASQUALINO in my mind as my Luis Fuentes ever since I saw him on UK Skins Seasons 3 and 4 (LOVED him as Freddie Mclair. *sighs*). And now, strangely, I think he kind of looks like the guy on the cover. ^_^ Really looking forward to reading this! Loves me some Fuentes brothers!

My Luis (Luke Pasqualino) and now my Nikki (Victoria Justice):













^^^I wish the Lake scene had been as hot as this picture!^^^

~*~*~*~*~

SEPTEMBER 2011…AFTER READING…

4.5 of 5 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den

(This is an Adult-who-enjoys-reliving-the-stirrings-of-first-love-and-self-discovery-during-the-teen-years-through-YA books review)

**CONTENT WARNING - Since this is a YA book I will include a warning that this book contains some Sexual, Drug and Alcohol, Course Language and Violent Content - Recommended for Older Teens and Adults who enjoy YA books**

*sighs* Still loving ‘em Fuentes brothers! ^_^

I was totally drawn into this, read it quickly and really enjoyed it… but… Perfect Chemistry is still my favourite. What can I say, I ADORE Alex and Brittany!

Now, about Chain Reaction….In August 2010, in an interview for Return to Paradise, Simone Elkeles had this to say about the third “Perfect Chemistry series” book:

“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?”

Link to interview here

When I read this, I was interested to see Simone Elkeles turn around the “bad boy – good girl” formula of the first two books to a “good boy – bad girl” story in Chain Reaction. This is not what she ended up with, however.

While mostly everything else in the above blurb remained unchanged, Nikki is not the “bad girl” that Elkeles had originally planned on, and Luis certainly isn’t such a “good boy”. Please see the link below where Ms. Elkeles talks about why she changed this:

Link to interview here

In Chain Reaction, Simone Elkeles gives us shades of gray in both Luis and Nikki instead, ie. ordinary teens who make some grave mistakes, that they can overcome and which need not direct/ruin the rest of their lives. I really liked that she did that!

Luis Fuentes, is considered the “good boy” in his family, but what the Fuentes family didn’t know, until Luis gets injured in a stupid stunt two weeks before Alex’s and Brittany’s wedding…pause for a SQUEE-SQUEEE!!! Uh-Huh…^_^...is that Luis is an adrenaline junkie.

So, it is Luis’own risk-taking nature that leads him to make some stupid decisions when he returns to Fairfield, Illinois, involving the Latino Blood (Alex and their father’s old gang). This misadventure leads to Luis to discovering some horrible truths that shake his very foundations, causing him to spiral out of control.

While I suspect some may think this book is too similar Perfect Chemistry, and may be dissatisfied, as a result, I felt that Elkeles was trying to portray that even for the so-called “good boy” of the family, he couldn’t run away from the legacy of the past of his family’s involvement in the Latino Blood. Also, for me, other aspects were different enough not to be an issue.

Of course, there were some parts when I was like, “What??? Luis, nooooooooo!!! Don’t be such a pendejo (idiot/dumbass)! Aaarggh!!!”

Yes, I clearly went on an emotional ride because of Luis. LOL

And Nikki…. Out of all the girls in this series, Nikki has the most “baggage,” from a painful life experience, which she suffers at the age of 15. I really connected with Nikki and felt for her. Nikki is feisty and vulnerable, at the same time. In order to protect herself, Nikki has built walls around herself and has severe trust issues with boys...and who could blame her? But Luis Fuentes makes her want to believe in a happily-ever-after, even though she fears trusting her heart to him.

Luis is just as sexy as his older brothers. I enjoyed the chemistry between Luis and Nikki and there were some very hot scenes between them. Hot Daaaammnn!! Although... it wasn't as strong as, definitely, Alex and Brittany, and perhaps, Carlos and Kiara...for me, anyway.

I loved that Luis wanted to reach for the stars, literally, and I loved the special gift that Nikki got for him. And his poem? *sighs* Luis is a romantic.

I loved Nikki's after school job and I adored "Granny"!

I loved how Luis was with Nikki's brother, Ben.

I loved that while Nikki had been born in Mexico, she wasn’t in touch with her Mexican culture, and it was Luis who showed her the importance of not forgetting where you come from, to be proud of your culture, while not letting it confine you, either.

I enjoyed seeing Mrs Peterson, the “hard-ass-zero-tolerance” Chemistry teacher, again.

I really liked Nikki’s best friend, Kendall, and her boyfriend, Derek. But OMG, I seriously wanted to smack Nikki's ex, Marco, soooo many times!! Grrr!!! No love here for that total pendejo!!!

I loved the brotherly bonds between the Fuentes brothers!

I loved, LOVED seeing Alex and Brittany with little Paco, who we met briefly as a teen in the epilogue of Perfect Chemistry, and is an adorable toddler here. I loved seeing Carlos and Kiara, a few years down the track, and how Carlos can still be an idiot. LOL Thank you, Simone Elkeles, for giving us readers this continuity in the later books! I love this aspect of the series!

Oh, and I loved the epilogue!!! I love seeing the snippet of the Fuentes family, many years down the track.

So... that's a whole lotta "love", huh? WHY was this a not-quite-5-Star read, for me, then? You mean, besides the times I was yelling at Luis? ^_^ Well, mamacitas, I still had some questions surrounding the shocker in this book. It just felt a bit unresolved and rushed, for me.

Also, I must say that I was a little disappointed that the shower scene on the cover, while was a cute scene, was not the hot scene I expected it to be. C’mon, Ms. Elkeles, how could you tease us like that?! LOL Though I never thought there were handcuffs involved; having always thought the chain in the picture was the shower pull.

And while I love the Mexican-Spanish words included in all the books, I do wish Simone Elkeles would have included a Glossary of those terms in the books so I wouldn't have had to google them.

I was actually debating giving this book 4 Stars, but seeing as I loved a lot about it, was so happy with the Alex and Brittany and Paco parts, and I'm re-reading it, soon after... well... I had to give it 4.5 Stars!

Being a huge Alex and Brittany fan, I just have to share this scene I loved:

‘”I got Peterson for chemistry. Feel sorry for me?”

Brittany and my brother smile at each other.

“Definitely. She’s brutal,” Alex says. “Brit, didn’t she give us detention every day?”

“I’ve tried to block those days out.” Brittany cringes. “I really hated you back then, Alex.”

He slides the back of his hand slowly across her arm. “Come on, chica. You wanted me, but you were afraid to admit it.”

Brittany bites her bottom lip as she looks into my brother’s eyes. He cups her cheek in his hand and pulls her close, then kisses her.

I slide my nephew off my shoulders and shield his eyes. “Seriously, guys, aren’t you past the honeymoon stage by now? You’re on your second kid already.”

“I don’t want to get past this stage,” my brother says.

"Me neither," Brittany coos.'

*sighs* I love you, Alex, mi corazon!

If Ms. Elkeles does do any Fuentes next generation stories, I will certainly read them, what with how she’s completely whetted my appetite with the epilogues in this series! Though I hope she mixes up the formula. Keep the Fuentes swagger, but no more gang related stories, please. ^_^

Reading Order for the series:

1. Perfect Chemistry - Review here
2. Rules of Attraction - Review here
3. Chain Reaction




DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: If you are a fan of this book you may want to avert your eyes. I like to think that I am open minded. I read the first book and…. eh, it was ok. I read this second book and I liked it more than I am willing to admit.

This book?

Um…
With my warning in mind, let’s proceed……

“Her words slam into my libido like a bucket of water on a flame full of testosterone. I think my dick just twitched in protest.”

That above quote pretty much sums up this book.
Mate, what does that even mean? A flame full of testosterone? What is his dick twitching in protest to? Being hit with a bucket of water? I just…. I just don’t know.
This book….

This book…

This book slammed into my intelligence like a bucket of water on a flame full of intellect. I think my eye just twitched in process.

I know I shouldn’t complain but I mean come on… I am a complete advocate for reading books that should technically be classed as ‘guilty pleasures’ even if I don’t believe in them. (If something brings you pleasure, why should you feel guilty?)
This book did not bring me pleasure, not matter how much this Fuentes brother tried.

Let’s talk about the characters.
Luis Fuentes- come on dowwwwwn.

Mate, I don’t like you. Seriously, I have a lot of tolerance when it comes to the Fuentes brothers. HEY, I have boobs, it’s in my nature. Right? RIGHT? All the girls love the Fuentes. ALL OF THEM. With your washboard abs and your violence and your sexually aggressive tendencies.
But you, mi chava, you were so dull and infuriating at the same time. It was like the boring/dull/horrendous parts of Carlos and Alex had been smushed together and we’d been given you. Gah.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to get involved with me right now."

The only time I want a YA boy to say that- is if he is actually a {insert supernatural creature here} who will EAT his lady love. Not an adrenaline junkie gang bangin’ poet who can’t keep his la tengo duro to himself.

Speaking of lady loves…

Nikki- come on dooooowwwwn.
I wanted to like you, really I did. I relate to you so much. I know exactly what’s it like to be broken up with because I’m not Mexican enough. It’s awful, isn’t it? It’s happened to me so many times I’ve lost count. You’d think it wouldn’t bother me now but you’re wrong. It’s rough, yeah?
You taught me a lot though, darling Nikki, because now I know as long as I have a bicep to cling onto, I’ll be reet and I’ll be able to face the world with my head held high and…. what not.

Also, was it just me or did the italicised Español get ridiculous? I have no idea what half of this book said. Oh and every time someone says ‘andale’ to me, I get this song in my head.

This book made no sense. The characters and story lines were just flung together in the way I imagine the ingredients would be if I were to ever make enchiladas.
I have so many questions.

Why was Luis in a gang?
Why did Nikki hate boys so much and then kiss them in pool houses?
Or… OK, fair enough…. A bit of a distrust but why did she think that Luis was going to be the same as Marco? Not every Mexican boy is the sa-

Wait…. Just got a call from Latino Boys In YA Official Group of Gangbanging and Officialness and I’ve been informed that yes, every Mexican boy is the same as Marco and they are all affiliated with a gang and they all take drugs and gangbang each other (did I use that right?) and shoot people and fall for rich girls who they see as a ‘challenge’.

I have more questions but I get too angry to ask them.

In a sentence- I wanted this book to be about a shy Latino boy with two badass gangbangin’ brothers who meets a sassy Mexican gal who is all sassy and…. um.. sassy.

In a paragraph- I wanted this book to be about a shy Latino boy with two badass gangbangin’ brothers who meets a sassy Mexican gal who is all sassy and….um…. sassy. I would love to have seen Nikki completely sass him (is that a thing?) and have had a Fuentes brother who didn’t know what to do with a full-blooded mamacita. Instead I got a book with two unlikeable characters that I didn’t understand, a completely unfeasible plot (tell me again why Luis is in a gang?), angst thrown in for no apparent reason (HEY MARCO!) and scabby dogs. Oh and character assassinations of people that I loved. Carlos… crying? You’re having a giraffe, right?

I have no more words so I’m going to post random snippets of the commentary my fellow readalongers and I created. They aren’t in any order and they don’t make sense… kind of like this book.

I’m keeping this bit anonymous so we can play a game of Pin the Snark on the Reviewer. Out of Reynje, Flann, Trin and I.... Who said what?

SPOILERS.

I would vomit on someone if they proposed to me like that.
She sounds like she lets her PANTIES drop for any Mexican around
If I was Kiara, I would kick Carlos in the face while he’s down on one knee.
I’m just skimming for biceps now.
This hey, hey business is the worst EVERYTHING IS THE WORST!
**** this ****ing book.
Because all gangbangers are awesome at sex and not one of them ever was not anything less than a facepunch of sex-awesome, according to Elkeles.
I couldn't stop laughing thinking about driving over there and just picking up a Mexican guy for sex.
I always think of other boys when I'm in bed with a gangbanger.
I just can’t stop straddling things. It’s a real problem.
WHEN HE LOOKS AT ME I ALMOST BREATH! This is so tense you guys!
I hate it when my boyfriend's beautiful mesmerising eyes pierce my soul.
If someone got gangbanged, I'd think they were in a porn video rather than in the hood. The way the Elkmeister uses it is such a secondary meaning for everyone. And it makes me chuckle every.damn.time..
May the gangbangers ever be in your favour.

As much as this review is full of snark and negativity, I want to reiterate something: I finished this book. Yep, I finished this book. Thus the power of Ms Elkeles, she will always get the last laugh.
And it seems I am, and always will be, a sucker for gangbangers.

That sounds so wrong to my fragile English brain I can’t even deal with it.

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ay carajo!



There are only so many times you can enjoy the same old story.. in my opinion it gets down to probably two.
I loved the first book because of the characters, and the chemistry and the action and I enjoyed enormously the humor in the second one, but when it comes to this one... I am terribly sorry to say that it was such a big disappointment.

Please Simone Elkeles, I know you can write better than this, I've seen it before, just come up with something new the next time. I just feel like I've seen it all and I have no interest in reviewing the same story from different angles.

One thing that I liked is the cover - yes it's hot - but can someone please tell me where the hell did the scene from the shower go? Did I get the wrong copy or what? I was expecting it, damn it! The only shower I've read about is the one from the chemistry class.. and God help us all, I don't know what's the point of that.

Another thing I was expecting is a "bad girl vs. good boy" thingy going on.
Am I the only one realizing that there is no such thing? I know Simone had to rewrite the whole story, but I didn't think that this was suppose to change too.

Because there is the same good rich girl, now called Nikki (the only difference from the previews books is that she is suppose to be Mexican, but she doesn't know Spanish and for 99.9% of the time she is denying her origins - so it doesn't really count) and the same bad boy, this time the young Fuentes brother Luis (we only have a few glimpses of his family beliefs that he is a good boy, but he is definitely not - in fact he is not a "bad boy" either, he is more like an average boy with a bad attitude or something along these lines). And he was suppose to be smart so why, I mean WHY did he do the same mistakes like his older brothers? The I-must-be-with-the-Latino-Blood-to-save-my-family crap is getting so old I want to scream, so is the fact that he must lie to his girlfriend and his brothers because they would not approve (Didn't you wonder why?? You smatra$$ could have learned more from your brothers and saved us from this retelling, you know?)



Now the characters are the ones that really got on my nerves.
They change their mind and they switch principles like really dirty socks (ten times a day). I didn't feel like they were the same ones through the story. It was like they had no personality at all, and they simply went with the flow changing their mind for convenience - I am mostly talking about Nikki and Luis, but it is the same with the others.


Minor Spoilers:
I wanted to shoot Luis and Alex at the wedding (I suppose you know about the wedding between Alex and Brit so it is not much of a spoiler - it happens right at the beginning) - it was suppose to be sweet and romantic and it ended by being really embarrassing . *hiding my face in the pillow*
Then I wanted to shoot Carlos when he said that he was single (to another girl!) just in front of Kiara!!!
Then I wanted to shoot Nikki's parent for liking Luis a moment and being against him the next one.
Then I wanted to shoot the Chemistry teacher - why did she had to change her personality in this book? "Zero tolerance policy" mean ZERO, none!
And then I wanted to shoot the Fuentes mother - because she was totally UNDER-protective in this story.

What's wrong with these people?

Well, I'm out of bullets, so I didn't end up by shooting myself because of this big disappointment.

To end on a good note, I feel that I should tell you that there are also a few funny or sweet moments, and also there are some hot scenes between the main characters (but I was too annoyed to enjoy them) - so I don't know, just read the book if you want to, and judge it by yourself.
Maybe you will love it.

2.5 stars

This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating Clarification
First half: 3 stars
Second half: 2.5 stars
Epilogue: 0 stars (Couldn’t even finish it. Seriously, was that necessary?)

Well, unfortunately for this series the third time is definitely not a charm… Bummer…

I was so looking forward to this final installment, and I was probably one of those raging fangurlz that was climbing up the wall when the release date was pushed out. Now that I’ve had a chance to read it, well it was definitely not worth the wait. Disappointment...

But, I will be generous and give it 3 stars because I have to admit, Luis was fun to read about at times, but if he called the other protag mi chava one more time, I was going to screech. I mean I love nicknames and endearments. Love them! However, that one made me cringe every time he used it. Bleh! There were a few scenes too that almost killed it for me. Alex and Britt’s wedding was just awful! I can’t believe Luis did what he did. Booo! Carlos’s disrespect toward Kiara when he raised his hand and wagged his finger yelling “single”. Booo! Luis joining the Latino Bloods. Booo! There’s a few more scenes, but I’m boo’ing like a fool, so enough.

It was fun to see Luis have so many similar characteristics to his brothers, including Alex’s smarts and Carlos’s drive, but one thing he had in spades that made me like him even more was his charm and arrogance about him. That was a nice combo for the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. I like Nikki in this book and it was nice to see her try and overcome her insecurities, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit she got on my nerves at time.

It was a disappointment to see Elkeles go with the same formulaic storyline as the other two books, but I finished this in one day, so it did keep my attention and at times had such cheestastic moments that I was forced to grin. Now the cover was a huge let down. I was really looking forward to reading the scene that went with that cover. Ugh! She could have done better than that. :/

Overall, obviously not the caliber of Perfect Chemistry, but it was nice to see this story come full circle with all three Fuentes brothers. And my only regret is not stopping before the Epilogue. It was so unnecessary that I couldn’t even finish reading it.

[Ayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely NOT good. I don't understand how the author made first two so amazing, and now this one... good lord the romance just felt plastic, and forced somehow. But, of course, I had to read it in order to have some closure. Ugh.

My advice? Read the first two, and then go into a bookstore and pick up this book, read the epilogue at the back of the book, put the book back on the shelf and walk out.

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am terribly sceptical when it comes to books that define themselves simply as 'romance'. I like romantic subplots in science-fiction, in historical-fiction and in mystery - in fact, in just about anything - but straight-up romance? Can't say I've ever been a big fan. But there will always be exceptions, like Anna and the French Kiss for example. This is one such exception.

This is mindless, sexy teenage fun. With emphasis on the sexy. That cover look steamy to you? Wait until you see what this has inside. No joke, this book is seriously hot, if you're put off by anything more than kissing and holding hands then you're nothing like me better off finding something else to read.

The two main characters are interesting, likeable and relatable (especially Nikki), and best of all: they are refreshingly far from perfect. I don't know how many times I've read both adult and young adult romances and the characters are all flawlessly charming - though, naturally, Luis is sex-on-a-stick ;)

Also, this story follows a similar theme to Perfect Chemistry, and probably Rules of Attraction too but I haven't read that one yet. If you liked the first then you will probably like this book, and personally, I much preferred this story. In Perfect Chemistry I wasn't too impressed with the ridiculously over-cliched characters: good girl cheerleader and bad boy gang member, I acknowledged that the chemistry was sizzling and that the book was reasonably entertaining but, um, I might as well have just watched Grease.

Chain Reaction had more original characters. Luis, a science genius who longs to one day become an astronaut if he can only break away from his family's violent past and gang involvement; and Nikki, a girl who was knocked up and dumped by a guy who left her to join the mexican gangs, and who now fears relationships with boys, particularly those with connections to the 'Latino Blood'.

This is definitely my favourite of the two books I've read in the series, though I intend to read Rules of Attraction pretty soon. This book is for those looking for something pleasant and light with an inevitable happy ending.

Many thanks to Lindsey for letting me borrow this :)

[Zemira Warner · Rating 2 out of 5]

*before reading*

STOP EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING! FUENTES BOYS ARE BACK!!!!

*after reading*

So,I gotta say Chain Reaction is a huge disappointment. It lacked that 'spark' previous two had. I did not like Luis and Nikki. I couldn't felt their love for each other. I didn't enjoy them as much as I did Alex & Brittany and Carlos & Kiera. :(
Luis was too much of a good boy for me to even think about him as a person who would join a gang.
Nikki,what to say about Nikki? I had a feeling she was depressed all the time. Where is the sassy Latina? And suddenly(near the end)her behavior changes drastically when she's like I'm gonna fight for my man.

After I was done with this book the only thing I kept thinking was How am I going to rate this one? I couldn't be one of those people who rate all the book from series/trilogy 5 stars just because they feel loyal to the author or something like that. I refuse!

[Reynje · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Note: I went into this book with good intentions. Please note my enthusiastic hashtagging in honour of the Fuentes boys, along with my fellow readalongers, Flannery, Jo and Trinity. Alas, I did not like this book - as the following review states.]

Look, I’m sorry, but every once in a while I just need to get my rant on and Chain Reaction has the dubious honour of being in my ranty sights right now.

I’ve read Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction, and while they weren’t precisely my cup of tea, I can’t lie – they were entertaining and fun. I expected something similar from Chain Reaction, if a slightly different take on the previous formula of bad-boy meets girl-from-the-right-side-of-the-tracks. What I didn’t expect was to read the mutant spawn of the previous two books, a Perfect Chemistry/Rules of Attraction fan-fiction-style mash-up.

Expectations

In hindsight I don’t know where I got this idea from, but I thought this book would be about Luis – the intelligent, sensitive and somewhat shy youngest Fuentes brother – being brought out of his shell by a confident, challenging Nikki, replete with trademark Elkeles flirtatious tension. Haha. Those were the days..

Reality

Luis is basically a hybrid of Alex and Carlos – which makes him what? The Ultimate Fuentes? An intelligent, tough, risk-taking, wannabe-astronaut badass with perfectly ripped abs who sets fire to the underwear of all girls in a 2 mile radius without even breaking a sweat. His key differentiator appears to be his perfectly spiked hair.

Luis sets his sights on Nikki, super-hot girl-from-the-right-side-of-the-tracks-with-a-secret!, determined to break through her cool exterior and make her his mamacita while also shaming her for not being a “real” Mexican.

Throw in some gangbangers, a scabby dog, a game of panty discus, a plot that defies logic, and ridiculousness ensues. Things get straddled. (Mostly furniture, though). Characters make absurd decisions. We are told plenty of things about the characters, but not really shown anything. Terrible poetry is written. Misunderstandings are rampant. Alex and Carlos bust shit up. Luis gets busted up. Nikki totes a gun and saves the day. Carlos cries, which apparently redeems him from acting like a total ass-hat.

Credit where credit is due – I actually liked the beginning of this book. I felt empathy for Nikki and I thought I understood her motivations. I had high hopes.

Then everyone started acting out of character and the believability I initially noted went out of the window, along with the plot, apparently.

I’m sorry. I know this is harsh, but I’m frustrated with this book. It feels like a (vanilla? trololol) regurgitation of the previous two, sans the compelling characterisation and interesting plotlines.

Anyway, the moral of the story appears to be: Don’t join a gang when you’re angry, it will end badly unless you have a sassy girlfriend who is your “forever and always” and buys you meteorites.

Or something...



* * * * * *
Ok, I’m done here.

I guess that’s a bit of a hollow pronouncement, since Chain Reaction is the last book in the Perfect Chemistry series, but just in case any further Fuentes books are spawned in the future: I’m staying well away.

And if I don’t, I give you all leave to throw things at me.

* * * * *

It's finally #FuentesFriday! with Flannery, Jo and Trin.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating clarification: 2.5 stars

*sigh*

I was SO sure that I was gonna love this but sadly I didn’t *hangs head*

For me, Chain Reaction was lacking the unbelievably hot and sizzling chemistry that made the other two books so special. I enjoyed “seeing” Alex and Carlos again and learning more about their lives – hence the 2.5 stars – but otherwise I didn’t really care for the story.

Luis is a hottie and quite swoon-worthy but somehow he didn’t have the same effect on me as his brothers had in the previous books. The fact that I couldn’t relate to Nikki at all and that I wanted to strangle her most of the time probably didn’t help either.

I don’t know if it’s only me – and I’m really looking forward to hearing what my friends think about this – but to me the writing felt very choppy. I also found myself frowning more often than not because I just couldn’t understand how one event led to the other. Altogether a real disappointment. I guess my expectations were just too high...

Oh, and the shower stall scene was SUCH a rip-off. I’m really miffed about that.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, could this book be any cheesier? I is disappoint.

I remember reading about Alex, absolutely unaware of how my clothes had spontaneously combusted while I was sitting there, completely engrossed and hanging on to every word. I re-read certain parts again and again, feeling my stomach to back flips and various other tricks that you only see in a Cirque Du Soleil performance, but Chain Reaction... I don't know, I'm still kinda waiting for some reaction. Anything.

.....


The most exciting thing about this book is the cover and that thing is a complete lie. A LIE, I TELL YOU.

I spent so much time looking forward to this. What a waste.

[Abbi Glines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all three books in the Perfect Chemistry series. I ADORED the first one. The second one was good but it just didn't compare to the first one. Alex and Brittany were hard to compete with. HOWEVER, this one is now my absolute favorite. A definite must read!!!

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bulgarian review: https://bookishipster.wordpress.com/2...

The final book in Simone Elkeles' trilogy was, of course, cute and lovely but this time it dealt with some even more serious problems. I really enjoyed the story, i liked Nikki and Luis' relationship, but they are definitely not my favourites. I found both of them a little bit annoying at times, especially when Nikki wouldn't believe Luis when he was obviously telling the truth. I understand why they had these issues, but i still feel like they could have been dealt another way. I still liked it though and i will always love the way Simone Elkeles' books make me feel - happy and loved.

[Kaya Dimitrova · Rating 3 out of 5]

С последната си книга от тази емоционална трилогия, Симон Елкелес отново не ме изненада откъм сюжетно действие, но май това е нещото, което харесвам в нейните книги... Като че ли понякога просто имам нужда от „и заживели щастливо”.
Във финалната книга, авторката отново ни поднася двама герои, изпълнени с чувство за хумор, но и купища проблеми зад гърба си. В сюжета на книгата продължават да се наблюдават, подобно на предишните романи, теми като наркотиците, парите, семейството, доверието и не на последно място – любовта.
Цялото ревю тук -> http://justonebooklover.blogspot.bg/2...

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m such a huge romantic. 90% of my books have a large chunk of romance in them, and 90% of the movies and songs I listen to involve heartbreak the sweeping of one off their feet. Chain Reaction could have sated my lust for love, and yet, like its prelude, it fell flat in all the important areas.

Luis Fuentes is doing his best to stay on the right path, and when he meets Nikki, the girl with the angelic face and beautiful soul, he thinks his life is finally starting to come together for good. Sure, Nikki has a lot of baggage and doesn’t really trust a “South Sider,” but hey, didn’t his brothers go through that too? Luis thinks he’s got it all figured out, that cocky kid, until the LB comes rolling back into town claiming debt. Suddenly, Luis’s life isn’t so perfect anymore and he’s now trapped in a world of lies, deceit and violence, with not a clue on how to get out.

Sounds familiar, right? Chain Reaction is basically the same thing as its lead ups, but just with different characters and a few plot strings ripped off from Gossip Girl. Elkeles writes clichés like she’s creating them in the first place – she twists the rich, stuck-uppity one, the bad-boy-gang-kid option, the Romeo-and-Juliet scenario, generally respectably – but even so, her writing skills seemed to have disappeared in this installment. This book lacked in pacing, in climax, in characterization, and all because there are only so many times you can run a cliché, and because I’m damn sure Elkeles got lazy with her dialogues.

Truthfully, I didn’t really like Luis. He was everywhere with his emotions and thoughts. He is the shady guy Nikki suspects him to be, and a lot of the time I found myself questioning his motives, which was ridiculous because while doing so I was reading from his POV. Luis wasn’t a very well-rounded character, but then I can also now say that for his brothers too. Because, yeah. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ALEX AND CARLOS? LEGITIMATELY, WHAT THE HELL? When we start off the book, Alex is getting married to Brittany and all is good for the whole wide freaking world. Alex seems cool, as usual, and seems like an ACTUAL MALE HUMAN BEING… which freakishly changes fast. Suddenly all you hear from him are these sappy-ass lines, and then just as snippily, you’re hearing them from tough-guy Carlos too. I got the feeling that Elkeles got stuck in her Hot Boy Wonderland and just decided to ignore how real boys actually speak, because something happened to her male characters that seriously scared me into taking a break from the book.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Simone Elkeles has the ability and potential to write solid main characters. Case in point, Nikki was much stronger and more relatable in comparison to Brittany and Kiara, and I could actually see myself being friends with her. Oh, and while we’re talking about befriending, I think I should mention that I love how Elkeles actually gives the “best friend” space to grow and become something other than “the best friend.” In this chemistry-ridden universe, the best friends get to be best friends, and get to be treated like best friends, and really, that’s truly wonderful because damn it, Elkeles is doing as expected.

Chain Reaction was romantic, but it was more steamy then anything else. I think I like this series so much because when Elkeles talks sex, she doesn’t just tell it, she shows it. Although the scenes were genuinely sappy about 85% of the time, I think that most YA authors could learn something from one of Chain Reactions sexcapades. It was refreshing and fun to simmer in the heat in the chemistry between the characters.

This book – nay, this series - could have been so much more, but this trilogy really did make me happy at points and made me a fan of Elkeles. I’m sad that the Fuentes’ are finished telling stories, because they really did tell riveting ones, but I’m also looking forward to something new. Something very, very new. Please.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh.... the Fuentes brothers... as sexy and dangerous as they are alluring. I'm sad to see their stories come to an end. I will miss them. If you have not read this series... all I have to say is WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!?!

Luis was the brother that you didn't really see much in the first two books, he was there and made a few small appearances but he wasn't what I was expecting. Luis had always been described as the "smart" brother.... so I thought maybe, just maybe he might learn from his brother's mistakes... not so much.

Luis was a lot more cocky and full of himself, and although that usually turns me away, he had a good heart underneath it all, so you couldn't help but love him. And poor Nikki, she had been through so much she shouldn't have had to deal with at fifteen that you can't help but want to wrap her in a protective cocoon... (and she is a dog lover so that's like one million times infinity cool points for Nikki.) You will love these two characters! It was difficult to watch Luis and his internal struggle to stay uninvolved with the gang, though it doesn't work out for him exactly as he hoped. Old habits and friendships are hard to break.

Their were hints and clues to (and and almost confession if I'm remembering right... it's been a while since I've read the other books) a "secret" involving Luis. It didn't exactly come out how I was hoping... but it plays nicely into the story... did not expect it!

This is just a great series, that I've thoroughly enjoyed reading. I've loved them all!

On a side note you should stop by Simone's website and watch the book trailers too! They are so fun!

[Sita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 12:49 AM, and I just finished reading Chain Reaction, and what can I say I absolutely loved it it, and after I read it I felt all happy and great and then I was all upset cause the series is over ☹.

Well, onto the review...

So a summary of the book, well I can't be stuffed to write one up, i'm falling asleep at my laptop. And you can read a summary anywhere. Continuing...

So, it basically has the same plot line as the other books in the series, except this one had so many recurring characters. We got to see how people were going and how everything ended up. I a loved the twists in this book, the romance was by far the hottest out of the whole series. And it just kept you guessing especially at the end.

Well now I plan on going to bed because I have school tomorrow. Gah. But what can I say this has got to be the perfect end to the series, it wrapped everything up so perfectly.

Did I say I loved it?

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translation widget on The blog!!!
“Reacție în lanț”, cel de-al treilea volum al seriei Chimie perfectă, ne oferă povestea lui Luis Fuentes, cel mai mic dintre cei trei frați.
Este un tip foarte inteligent, țanțoș și încrezut, care flirtează cu tot ce poartă fustă.
La 15 ani o întâlnește pentru prima dată pe Nikki, care reușește să-l lovească fix unde-l doare mai tare.
Revenit în orașul natal pentru ultimul an de liceu, Luis are de făcut diferite alegeri în viața lui, nu întotdeauna bune și nu lipsite de pericol.
Reintră în fostul grup de prieteni, datorită circumstanțelor se vede nevoit să intre în banda Latino Blood pentru a-și apăra familia.
În același timp, o cunoaștem pe Nikki care, la 15 ani prietenul ei s-a despărțit de ea chiar după ce aceasta i-a spus că îl iubește, apoi a plecat fără ca Nikki să aibă timpul să-i spună că este însărcinată... Pierde sarcina după ce participă la nunta lui Alex, iar de arunci fata nu numai că nu are încredere în băieți, dar nici în iubire.
Și vine ultimul an de liceu, când constată surprinsă că Luis a revenit în oraș.
O atractie arzătoare izbucnește între cei doi, dar tânăra luptă din toate puterile cu propriile sentimente și se mine pe ea însăși că iubirea nu există.
Odată cu revenirea în orașul natal, Luis constată ca viața nu este atât de simplă pe cât o știa el, că marile lui speranțe și planuri de viitor devin din ce în ce mai indepartate, iar realitatea crudă este cu totul alta.
O poveste care îmbină emoțiile cu umorul, răsturnările de situații cu pericolul și amenințările, deciziile dificile cu suferința provocată propriei persoane sau celei pe care o iubește enorm.
Cum se termină povestea aceasta plină de adrenalină vă invit să descoperiți.
Impresiile mele despre serie aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....

[SimBim]

Oh My God, the cover...
Luis, you kinky beast ;)

[Aly (Fantasy4eva) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been very conflicted about this one.

So I'm going to just go ahead and list what I did and didn't like.

* THE COVER. I loves.
At first I was like WOW. And then all traumatised when my dad saw it and gave me the WTF look. Now I just say WHATEVS. Sometimes I even stare. I DON'T EVEN CARE.

* Nikki Cruz in the first half I really liked. In the second half I guess something just changed because my original opinion of her diminished.

* The cheesy dialogue? Oh man. I know there's bits of it in the previous book, but if it was sprinkled on the previous two, then it was pure full on splashed on this one. And I found it all a bit too much since it was so constant in the book. A lot of eye rolling involved. Also quite a bit of cringing :/

*It was heck of a breezy read. I absolutely devoured the book and that's something I can always count on when it comes to this author.

* The themes and plot I have all seen before. And at this point it was a pretty annoying.

* I was all about seeing the scene that is shown on the cover. Sadly, I was very disappointed.

* I didn't buy Luis' reason for doing the things he did. Mostly because I felt like he did them not because he had no choice and had to protect his family, but just because he purely did it for the thrill, because he wanted to. And I'm not OK with that. And I'm not OK with how he lies to someone he cares about over and over again as a result of it.

* His mother was pretty disgraceful in this book. Not only did she do nothing as it all unfolded before her (apart from sulk) but she hid something that he had every right to know. Failing to use her common sense to know that not telling him would only cause him to not only distrust her but to gravitate to the very people who she wanted him to stay away from.

* I have to admit. It was lovely to see Alex and Carlos again. Although their personalities seemed a little off on this one. And do not even get me started on that scene with Carlos. That boy can be pretty oblivious sometimes.

* I thought the prologue was pretty cute. Guys, I know some have a thing against them but I love them! Although I think I loved ROA prologue a little more :D

* I really felt for Nikki at the beginning. It's horrible what she goes through and relateable on so many levels. So it's understandable why she would hold a barrier for so long. I certainly don't blame her. But the girl had a major case of ignoring 'the signs' when it came to Luis.

* Paco!!! This kid is so adorable. I need to read PC prologue again. :)

* I wish there was more to Marco. We all know he's a douche. but I'd like to think there's more to him than is let on. What if he did genuinely like her, what if he has a seriously messed up background or story that could help us understand him better. There are a few people like Nikki's best mate and her bf, including Marco, that I found interesting and would have loved to have known them better.

*The last few pages seemed a little all over the place. I felt like everything was fast forwarding and it felt very jumbled up.

*The authors writing really didn't seem on point compared to her two previous books. It definitely became much more evident towards the middle and the end. I was left pretty let down by it.

*It still contained moments that made me laugh. But it wasn't quite as swoon-y, funny or have the same great banter as the previous two books did. Which was a shame because it's mainly the highlight for me when it comes to the authors books.

* Despite the conflicted thoughts, I did have a good time with it. Entertaining it is :)

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. My review is going to be quite half-assed this time. Either you love these books or you don't. I have to fall on the love side because so many experiences in these books are ones that I have witnessed first hand. Sure, there are people who feel it a bit fake, but not everything can be 100% accurate. I feel like the author did her research and came close enough for me to relate, being someone who has been there, lived that.

Good lord, it's as if these books are half documenting my teen years. It's crazy how much of this stuff actually happened to me and exes of mine. It's nice to read something that isn't so far off from my life, me being the girl who dropped out of high school and had a baby as a teen and still managed to overcome and make something decent out of my life. This is one of the only book series that at least sort of gets what the rest of us "bad kids" went through.

Were the love stories a bit sappy and overdone? Perhaps? But maybe not as much as some people complain about. Even my hard-assed gang-living high school boyfriend had a sappy side. He used to write me poetry. He used to whisper words of love and affection in my ear that used to make me melt. He probably reigned it in a little when around his friends because of the whole image thing, but that side of him was still there under the surface. I swear, there was so much of Alex (from book 1) in my first love, but I can pull out qualities of both Carlos and Luis that would match up with other boyfriends of mine.

Call me blasphemous (Alex I still got your back!) but dare I say I liked this one just a little bit better than even book 1? I thought it was great how the author managed to bring all three brothers together to tell the continuing story of the family as a whole. I still got to have my Alex fix, but also got to see where Carlos and Kiara's relationship was headed. And then...then there was Luis. He was all of the good qualities of Alex, while managing to be even more in spirit. He was so much fun. The cockiness was playful, not serious, which added an adorable appeal to the youngest Fuentes brother.

Nikki, the girl in this book, was hands down my favorite girl in the series. I never really attached to either Brittany or Kiara. I'm not sure why all three girls had to be rich girls, but whatever. Small complaint.

If you were a fan of the first book, but not so much of the second, I'm here to tell you that you'll be getting some of the original magic back with this book. Partway into the book, the whole family moves back to Chicago, so we get away from the small-town mountain setting of Boulder (awesome town, but yeah...not so much for these books). This story needed to be told in Chicago. Book 2 lost something for me when the setting changed, so I was happy to see that a relocation was in order.

[Yuli Atta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing about this book that is so off is that the characters are supposed to be the smart ones, they are supposed to no how things would go and yet they are just fools.

Искрено съжалявам, че не искам да пиша отрицателно ревю в блога си поради очевидни причини -_-

[Miakoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luis' story and third companion to the perfect chemistry series gets a thumbs up for humor; I was, at the very beginning especially, so into Luis because he was funny...but then again, so were his brothers(I'm laughing just thinking about them). I'd say Nikki was a good pick for this story, she stood by what she believed in, which was really cool...she was however a bit looney sometimes but then again if I were her I'd probably be worse.

As an individual story, this book was really good but compared to Alex's and Carlos' story...It was just okay. It had some expected and repetitive events. But believe me when I tell you, Luis' story is a must read, trust me! I kind of felt like a yo-yo as I was reading this...a little something this:

Page ?? "Pwahaha! Pwahahaha! More! More!"
Page ?? "*rolls eyes* okay *smacks forehead* ugh"
Page ?? "Go Nikki! Go Nikki!"
Page ?? "Go Luis! Go Lu...-oh wait no! no! nooooo Luuuiiiisss, you idiot!!! : ("
Page ?? "No. Way!"

That pretty much raps up this review. Overall, a very good story if you like how the books' description sounds! A must for Simone Elkeles fans!

"Spanish Word of the Day": Pendejo - a spanish slang word for idiot, stupid or dumass.

LOL!

Because I'm judging the book on the story, not as the third book in the perfect chemistry series, it receives:

4/5

[A_Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 or 5 stars depending on when you read it...

A great read, but having read the previous two, this seemed to follow a very obvious formula and seemed too similar to the other two. So I ended up skimming it and still knowing exactly what happens.
This is a five-star read if you haven't read the others, or are reading them out of order. But if, like me, you're a bit OCD about reading a series in order, then this book may just be a 3-star read in the end, because even though you enjoy the writing style and the characters, it'll all seem like a bit of 'the same old, same old' plot progression.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

~ 1 not even nostalgia can save this mess star~


I hated the story, the gang plot just got fucking ridiculous and most importantly the characters sucked. And yes, I mean ALL the characters. Even the ones I used to love, because somehow Carlos suddenly turned stupid and Alex is acting like an old man.

What a way to ruin great characters....

But especially Nikki and Luis sucked.

Not only were they by far the worst couple in the series, there were both terrible individual characters too.

Take Luis for example: He is supposed to be the good boy of the Fuentes family, you know the space nerd with good grades, !he writes poems for fuck's sake!, is a math genius blah blah blah... but then suddenly his personality does a complete 180 from time to time, and he starts acting and talking like a fuckboy. Every time that kid said mi chava I literally wanted to barf.

I know, all the Fuentes are a bit fuckboy-y but when Alex and Carlos acted like that it at least fitted their personality. Here it was just some serious Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shit going on.

Nikki was mostly annoying, but I didn't get her either. Nothing that girl said or did makes ANY sense and all this miscommunication between them was just infuriating.

So far, this series has surprised me over and over again to the point where I was sure that I'd love this one, but I don't and knowing that it was the final book makes it even worse.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this companion series, it was really fun and family based which I loved. It had its funny moments, it had its cheesy moments and it had its more serious moments and I loved them all. I will say that sometimes the main love interests were annoying but I still highly enjoyed it. I think there is going to be a 4th book which is really exiting.

[Elena R a.k.a. Lunies R · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://samsawesomness.blogspot.com/20...

Can I get a little wha,wha....? FUENTES BROTHERS BABY!

I thought the series might die down knowing that this 3rd novel,was about Luis. He's suppose to be the goodie two shoes in the family.BUT HOT DAYUMMMMM!!!!!!!! I'm in La-La Land! I've never loved a Ya-series as much as I loved this series! Some one pass me a "Get Out Jail Free Card" Cause I might one day jump one of these brothers *for personnel reasons* LMAO!!!!!!!! Simone Elkeles is too good to her readers,she knows excatly how we like it and how we want it.MMMMMM.......


I Just have one question. How is it in the blurbs and other reviews everyone mentions , Luis runs and gets involved with a bad girl? That is so not true.They Both have baggage.At least she wasn't the kind of chick into drugs and partying and all that other teenage bad girl stuff that was going on in this book. I liked her. Ok,made my point. NEXT!

Holy Mother Of Unholiness! We get more then the average joe story plot in this novel.For instance.

Alex and Brit: Marriage and babies...Swoons! Can I claim his babies? His baby boy has me wrapped around his fingers,he can smooch and drool on my cheeks any day! hehehehehe.....

Carlos and Kira: Major issues,but love them forever and always. LOL!! Just like Carlos would say "make-up sex" is always worth the wild...ahahahaha....

Now as for Luis and Nikki: Nikki reminds me of myself,I'm so generic it's pathetic! ROTFLMAO!!!!!! She claims she's not Mexican but she is,and I claim I'm Spanish,but never show what I'm truly made of,don't know why =P OK! Back to my point! I love that Luis is totally into his culture,and doesn't let anyone tell him he's not. LOVE IT! These two combined set each others fireworks off. Nikki has a strong "FU" Vibe and Luis has an "I'll FU Vibe" It doesn't get better than that. 2years later after they meet at Alex's wedding,they bump into one another during their Senior Year at Fairfield High. Nikki has a past and doesn't trust any guy who tries to get near her.But she feels a strong connection with Luis. Luis is determined to get what he wants,in a very good boy fashion way till,Nikki keeps pushing him away.So that's when his Bad Boy persona releases. AND even I can't deny the desire!

Well,to keep my review short and spoiler free,let me just say.It's Truely Suspenseful and heart breaking. There is major Family togetherness that will bring you down to your knees.(Loved how this family sticks together.)Romance,and so much more....... If you started the series and haven't finished it. Stop being lazy and pick it up,Or Else......I will harass anyone I know if they haven't finished the series yet.LOLZ! Ya'll know who you are! =P

To all teens out there..Simone Elkeles has written a wonderful series that any teen can relate too. Remember we're not all perfect.Shite happens,it's up to everyone of of you to pick up the pieces in your life and make something of yourselves. And it can all start with just a book





BTW!!!!!! I'm so grateful that Alex and Carlos are in their 20's now.So I can officially put this novel on my "Quiver Shelf" Ahhhh...nice! hehehehe


Interview on my blog with Simone Elkeles S,E,R's Awesomness!

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck, this was good... I'm so sad it's over, I've really grown to love the Fuentes brothers and unfortunately, this was the final book in the series *imagine me crying here*. I'm not going to write a conventional review, because I feel like that takes away how I REALLY felt about this book and to me, plot built-up, characterization, themes etc are rather superficial. What really matters to me, is how a book makes me feel. Warning: this will be all over the place....

I absolutely LOVED this one. I was a big fan of the first two books already, so I can't even explain how excited I was about this one. If you loved the self-assured, cocky, smooth, flirtatious and above all, fearless personalities of the oldest two brothers, you'll love Luis even more. Next to being insanely attractive, badass, self-assured and smart-mouthed, he is also extremely intelligent (pls send help to my inner sapiosexual) and honest about his feelings. I think he's my favourite one of the Fuentes brothers (not sure though, bc fuck I love the other two as well).

I also loved the romance between Luis and Nikki. Even though I found Nikki annoying and stuck-up at times, I love how they met and how they eventually developed feelings for each other. Wish they'd described the sex scene in a little more detail, after the long anticipation ;) overall, great plot structure for a romance and I could FEEL the chemistry they had.

Another thing I adored about this book, was the family aspect of it. Their love and caring for each other as brothers run so deep. I thought the relationship that they had with each other was so amazing. Their insults and making fun of each other had me cracking up at times as well :D Ahhh I can't even describe how much I love them <3

Despite this book being a romance predominantly, the gang/drug dealing/danger aspect of it made the book that much more interesting and it really created tension, something which the book might have lacked without the LB being involved.

The main criticism that I found this book got, was that it was very repetitive from the first two. I'm not gonna deny that it has a similar plot, but the first two books are among the best books I've ever read, so I certainly didn't mind getting caught up in an impossible romance and a dangerous gang involvement again. Hell, I'd even love to read a fourth book in this series, even if it has the same storyline again. I think Simone Elkeles has found the perfect formula for a great romance novel, so why change it :D And the books do differ enough from one another to not make you feel like you're reading the same book twice.

Okay this was all I had to say I guess (okay I could go on for days tbh, but these were my main initial thoughts after finishing it). I'm gonna cry for the rest of the night now, bc I'll never read about my favourite brothers again :( Honestly, I don' t think I've come close to describing my love for these books and especially the MC's. If anyone has recommendations for books with sexy, dangerous, cocky, flirtatious, intelligent badboys, I'm so down !!!!

[Mihail Petrov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Както винаги приятно и леко четиво. Това най-много харесвам на книгите на Симон Елкелес. Мотивът за лошото момче в беда малко започна да се изтърква, затова съветвам авторката да приключи с тази сюжетна идея и да премине към по-велики идеи.

[Brittany (Hiatus-On/Off) · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me this one was the funniest in the series! :D Awe. ^^ Next book in the series please!!
Full review to come... ;-)