Sunday, September 1, 2013

Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards
By Simone Elkeles
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Series: Wild Cards#1

Description:
Love, life, and sports will never be the same. A steamy new series with a Friday Night Lights flavor, from best-selling author, Simone ElkelesAfter 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?

Review:

When I saw that Simone Elkeles was coming out with a new series I was definitely excited because I have loved a couple of her past series.  They were so addicting and I couldn’t wait for this new one to come out.  I really enjoyed that this book and this series will be about Football, there’s just something about that sport that makes it so all American and exciting and this first book made it all girl power and I loved that.

We meet Ashtyn Parker as she has just been nominated as the captain of her Football team, this is against her boyfriend whose father played professionally and believed he should have been the captain.  This little bump in the road is only the beginning and it’s so crazy and true how true colors come out when something happens a person is not happy about.  Ashtyn is trying her hardest to be a good captain and get ready for her week in an elite football camp so she can try and get a scholarship to play during college.  She’s got her head in the game.

Enter Derek, rebellious, but trustworthy and loyal who loves a good prank and is just ready to disappear once school is over.  He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Navy just so he can be someone. His stepmom just picked him after being kicked out for a too funny prank at his private school and is now moving him and her family to Chicago until his dad gets back from his tour.  Yes, this is where Ashtyn is and their relationship is rather complicated as she is his step aunt and they are the same age, and there is definitely much attraction being thrown between the two of them.

They butt heads back and forth but eventually the walls break down and it’s just fun to watch because when guys tease girls and girls annoy guys as much as these two did, you know it’s just a form of saying hey I like you.  Even though they banter back and forth each one of them has a deep rooted issue that the other helps them with.  Even getting through to family and learning to believe in you.  They had a couple almost moments, it’s the anticipation that gets you every time, but one or both would mess it up by talking, funny I know but it’s true.  Way to kill the mood lol, but they get it eventually. 

The two really fit together perfectly and I love how Ms. Elkeles brings them back together at the end of the book, it’s romantic for them and just special all around.  The things we do for other people will sometimes help us in the end as well.  Overall this book was great, easy breezy, great summer read and I enjoyed it very much and can’t wait to see what the next book is going to be about.  I hope it’s about Jet because I found him too funny as a secondary character in this book.  Cross fingers. 

Love the cover, especially how you have the football scene at the bottom and you have to wonder if it’s Derek or Ashtyn down there, I think its Derek because he’s finally walking back on the field after such a long time.  Oh football, oh love, oh goody, this book was fabulous. Simone Elkeles keep them coming!

About the Author:
SIMONE ELKELES is the author of Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, Chain Reaction (all Quick Pick Top Tens) and Leaving Paradise, a Book Sense Pick. Simone was named Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. www.simoneelkeles.net

Links

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

No comments: