Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Publisher: Walker & Company
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2085-6
Pages: 324

Carlos Fuentes idolized his older brother, Alex, when he was a member of the Latino Blood. So when Alex chose to get jumped out of the gang for a chance at a future with his gringa girlfriend, Brittany, Carlos felt shocked and betrayed. Even worse, Alex forced Carlos to come back from Mexico to join him on the straight and narrow path. Trouble is, Carlos just wants to keep living on the edge. And ties to his Mexican gang aren't easy to break, even hundreds of miles away in Colorado.

In Boulder, Carlos has to live with one of Alex's college professors and he feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I finished Perfect Chemistry a few months back. Rules of Attraction did not disappoint!

I really liked Kiara's personality. I can't help but admire a strong female lead and Kiara definitely fits the role. She was confident, adventurous and not afraid to get her hands dirty. In other words, she was exactly what Carlos needed to bring him back down to earth. I'm not saying that she was perfect or that she had everything in her life figured out because she absolutely did still get insecure about fitting in. In the end, however, she overcame it all and came out strong.

Carlos, admittedly, made me laugh. While I still personally prefer his older brother Alex, Carlos had a sincerely sweet side that I loved to see come out under his egotistical one. He grew up a lot during the story and into someone he could be proud of. I liked seeing what Kiara had to do with that and how she could challenge and irk him like no other.

Finally, Tuck. He was hilarious! He was also a great friend and just the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with. 

Now, I really like the way that Simone Elkeles is able to weave together romance and danger while still keeping the story intense, addicting and believable. The progression of the story from start to end moves forward at a comfortable pace with no stops. Even with the similarities between the two elder Fuentes brothers, the story was fresh and new.

I am really looking forward to Luis' story but sad that the trilogy will be coming to an end. I will genuinely miss these characters. Excellent, excellent book!

Cover Comments: I really like how the rain looks on the cover, just shimmering on the page and forming a sort of sphere around Carlos and Kiara. The blurred title is cool too and I'm glad that the cover matches its companion. Overall, the cover does a good job of matching what is to come in the story. Nice cover!