Perfect Chemistry by Simon Elkeles

Goodreads Blurb

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.

Perfect Chemistry was a perfect romance. Not only was their love breaking the “rules” of the society, they also broke through the bars of racism and stereotypes, and I think that’s one of the more important aspects of this book. Alejandro (Alex) Fuentes is part of the Latin Blood gang and is one of the bad boys, from the south side. Brittney is the all-popular Queen Bee of the school and captain of the cheer squad. Both are chemistry partners, and suddenly, despite their many, many, differences, they’re drawn to each other, even though they know that their being together will cause problems.  It’s a classic love story—except for one little bet: if Alex…end ups with Brittney he gets a car…a bit petty, isn’t it? He agrees with it, thinking it as a challenge only…until he starts falling—and hard. Cliché? It should be, shouldn’t it? But it’s not. Brittney has to pretend everyday to be perfect while her older sister sits at home, mentally delayed. Brittney loves her sister, but she can’t bring herself to tell her friends about Shelley. Alex saw his father murdered but can’t remember who murdered him and is stuck in gang-business to save his family from harm. So how can these unlikely people be together?

Simone Elkeles weaves this romance so thoroughly that you’re left with no questions asked. Danger lurks in Alex’s life and wariness in Brittney’s. “A thin line between love and hate” is shown in Perfect Chemistry. Alex and Brittney hate each other, and take a jab at each other whenever possible, but of course, start falling sooner than you’d think. Miss Elkeles doesn’t rush into the romance as in some books I’ve read, she takes it gradually as if Brittney and Alex were real people falling into a relationship. Told from both POVs, you get a feel for both their emotions, confusion, determination, and hesitation. Small things, you can expect in this story, but other things just hit me unexpectedly. The last…fifty pages? made  me just love the book even more.

This may be the oldest book I’ve reviewed, about three years old, but I’m definitely glad I read it. It was just amazing, full of romance, intrigue, and danger. It wasn’t “dark and dangerous” in any paranormal way, but it had its own sense of danger of its own way, one that sent shivers down my spine. Perfect Chemistry deals with some serious things as well, like being in a gang, racism, society, and anti-drug dealing, and, like I mentioned above, I think these are the most important things of this book. I think every teen should read this…if it wasn’t for the steamy scenes, that is!

All in all, it was a wonderful book and the epilogue with their son made me smile and laugh. I can’t wait to read book two, Rules of Attraction, starring Alex’s brother, Carlos, and yet another “snow-girl”. I’m sure it’ll be a bit cheesy, but those are the best kind of books.                              

Pages: 360

Series: Perfect Chemistry #1

Genre: Realistic/Romance

Rating: 5 stars

“’Assure me nothing’s going to happen to you.’ I can’t.”