Review: Better Than Perfect - Simone Elkeles

A lot can happen when you're not looking for love . . .

Ashtyn's life just got complicated. Her boyfriend is being distant and her sister's back at home after ten years - with a stepson in tow!

Derek has a perfect body, the sexiest smile and a car - Ashtyn's only way to escape from her crazy life. But Derek likes to play by his own rules and is keen to take Ashtyn on a ride she'll never forget. As they spend more and more time alone together, will Derek's flirty games drive Ashtyn wild?

Wild Cards Series:
Better Than Perfect (previously released with the title Wild Cards)
Further titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Simone Elkeles' website for more information

Review:
I love Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry trilogy so anything else she writes is automatically on my radar and I was very excited to get my hands on her latest novel Better than Perfect. Finding out that the main character Ashtyn is the only girl on her school football team just made me even more interested in the story. I have to confess I don't know a great deal about American football (I don't know much about the English version either but at least I have watched the occasional game of soccer LOL) but I was surprised (and thrilled!) to discover that girls can and do join the boys teams and couldn't wait to see Ashtyn in action.

I absolutely loved the fact that Ashtyn wasn't just a token player on the team, she has proved her abilities and is respected and liked by the rest of the team. Something that is proved very quickly when they vote to make her the new captain! Ashtyn is treated like one of the guys, they all have fun together but at the same time the boys are all very protective of her and she knows that they'll always have her back. I really enjoyed seeing the dynamics between Ashtyn and the rest of the guys, the banter amongst the group was fun but I liked the supportive friendships she has with some of the players too. I have to admit that I would actually have liked a little more of the football side of the story though, I just wanted to see more of Ashtyn in action, especially at the summer camp she goes to.

That didn't stop me enjoying the story though and I loved seeing the relationship develop between Ashtyn and Derek. They don't exactly get off to the best of starts (I'm not going to spoil you on their first meeting but trust me it was hilarious!) and their relationship is rocky to say the least. It's obvious from early on that they're attracted to each other but neither of them is willing to admit it or act on their growing feelings. Derek is a great character, one with lots of layers and quite a complex history that has made him wary of letting anyone get close to him again. He is new to town and has developed a bad boy persona to help keep people at a distance but in reality he's a really sweet and caring guy - you just have to get close enough to see it. I loved that he never treats Ashtyn badly, they bicker and fight but he always looks out for her and never tries to put her down.

I don't want to say too much more about the story but I will say that I'm very happy this is the start of a new a series and I can't wait to spend time getting to know the other players on the team. I already have a soft spot for both Victor and Jet but I also have a feeling that there is a story in Monica and Trey's relationship too and I'd love to get the full low down. If you've enjoyed Simone Elkele's other stories or if you're a fan of authors like Abbi Glines then I'm sure you'll love Better than Perfect too.

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

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