Romancing the Nerd - Leah Rae Miller

Let's face it: I am geek. I closet one- but yeah well I totally am.
But Miller made me wonder if I need to get my nerd on...
Seriously the LRP, the dress-up stuff. The first time ever I got why people do this, more even I thought I could enjoy it
And that's just one aspect why I thoroughly enjoyed Romancing The Nerd. This is cute&fluffy with a good helping of nerd- but actually it's also kind of more.
Because we get to explore the whole popular thing with Zelda, and more so though, we get reminded that people aren't black and white. Just because someone likes LRP doesn't mean they can't be interested in sports as well...
Zelda's journey and character growths was amazing. I found her extremely opinionated and while I loved her sass and her POV- that particular part was annoying. I kept thinking she is like an old stuck-up woman when it comes to her views of people!
In fact it is amazing how Dan comes across as the opposite in the beginning but is actually just like Zelda. Both of them discover that there is more to a person that meets the eye...

I loved the romance, it's super cute, it's geeky/nerdy and just swoon-worthy. On that alone I can only recommend this one.
Add to that the great humor. And you got an awesome book.

While I enjoyed the fun & cute story line. This novel shines with character building. While we start off, with a clear picture on who is who- I kinda thought in fact, we going to have the normal YA cute&fluffy high school cast- Miller gave all characters layers and depths as the story went on.
It was nice to revisit Maddie and Logan from The Summer I Became A Nerd as well. I am really glad I read that novel, even if this one totally works as a standalone- I felt like seeing old friends and I got their connection. It was cool to see them from Zelda and Dan's POV as well.

It's a cute, swoony spring read for all nerds and non-nerds alike!

So quite frankly somehow I am sitting here, wondering what I actually expected from this. But all I can say not really what I got.
I mean this is quite cute. I was hoping for a cute & fluffy. And I guess it is. Maybe, or at least some bits.
There is plenty of angst- but hey they teenies. I didn't mind that. I don't get the whole awkward phase thing, though.
Then the parents, are totally blase - but wait! we talking teenies!!!
The snail mail situation... uhm cute but who still does that? Ok well, I do but NO what'sapp, fb or email? Not even my granny does that!
The end yeay, cute and fab, but I was sorta over it all by then.
Basically the plot is rather unrealistic.
I enjoyed the writing style
So: my issue? I was bored most of the time. I kept kinda expecting something. Well, don't ask me what. Actually: Anything more.
I liked the night on the roof. But then, I just was given banal daily bore. I wish there was less family dynamics and all that, but more cute & fluffy instead.
Sadly not really my thing

3.5 Stars

So the Blurb had it just right... Exactly right. I didn't want to change anything about Chase.
Totally the desirable tortured hero.
Well, until at about 85% that is then. I just wanted to smack him.
But let's backtrack and start at the beginning.

Just like Fletcher's previous novel, I enjoyed her writing. She is great at writing unique special moments and even better at writing about tortured heros.

As I already said I loved Chase. I felt for him, and with him. His love for art was beautifully described, his lethargia was well described and somehow understandable. The way he got away with things, was scary in that it is realistic, sadly. But there was no character growth until the last chapter. He was so tortured so caught up in his own fears- which by the way most of it was only hinted at, there are still a gazillion questions I was just left with. All we are told: 5 years ago he was this sweet nerd, now he is a tortured misfit. How he got from the first to the latter, we only got fed tidbits here and there.
Rylee being his polar opposite today, was his best friend during their nerd times... Now she has a group of friends and seems pretty popular. While I did like Rylee most of the time. Actually to be honest I liked the Rylee that was with Chase. I didn't much care for her action around her friends.
The fact that she didn't tell them about her nerdy-side for example struck me as odd. But more so that she didn't stand up for what she wanted. It annoyed me like hell. I kept thinking they supposedly her friends, but Mya acted half the time more like a mother hen and the other half Rylee acted like if she'd be honest they would all desert her.
I did like the support cast. Even if I found some of them a bit too much. I loved the parents of Chase, their disfunction and lostness, was upsetting but I love how Fletcher made them so human.

The plot had some amazing moments. I loved the notebook. I loved the skateboarding... lots of good moments. BUT it was too short, or actually things changed suddenly and all seemed fine. The End.
There was this great build up, then the slight disappointing big bang and well, a minute of groveling, and HEA. It was just too fast. Considering all that had happened before. All those hints, all the problems and then it was just, ok now all is good. It my biggest issue with the book. The last 15% felt rushed. It's like Fletcher just decided to call it a day. It was a bit anticlimactic but also rather disappointing. I expected somehow more. And I still feel like there should have been more. Fletcher did an amazing job at setting things up, making me wonder what exactly drove Chase, but the it all unraveled way to speedy and we are left with loads of questions and well hoping that Fletcher is publishing another book soon. It lacking the depth it was setup for.

A good cute & fluffy, that was sadly too short and a wee bit rushed at the end.

This left me totally divided. I adore bits and loathed others... But mostly My Perfect Mistake made clear that, Siskind's writing will keep me reading anything she throws at me!

I loved Siskind's prose in previous books. But then I also liked the storyline and loved the characters. With My Perfect Mistake it became clear that I am hooked by her writing. Whenever I put the book down and thought about it- there were so many things I found agitating. I am not a huge fan of some of the characters for examples, it's too insta, not sure about the plot... BUT the moment I started reading I was hooked, I didn't care about all the things I will be ranting in a bit. NOPE. Not at all. I gobbled it all nicely up. And that my friends is fantastic writing in my books.

The plot starts off as super-insta-lust. Then take a turn to wait-we-might-have-a-connection to let's-play-coy to full-on-love-and-happiness, another drama-that-makes-wanna-punch-the-two-idiots and finishes with a swoony HEA.
I loved the Aspen bits, even if it was totally insta. I loved the chemistry between Shay and Kolton. Though his "secret" and her quick-to-assume-attitude already were a bit off-putting. I liked the banter and the quick back and forth, the competitive little fights, it's explosive and fun.
Then I found myself hoping that Siskind is going to take a 180 and do it all slow-like... but sadly that didn't happen, so while I found the middle entertaining- I also found it a bit too crafted, trying too hard to be quirky but still cliche.
The last bit, honestly, I totally inhaled it. BUT I was kinda so over all the dramas. As a commitment-phobe I had lost my patience with the excuse of being scared of commitment or hiding behind the past. While it was a joy to read it also felt drawn out. -see? Divided!

I liked Kolton. Who wouldn't? Show me one girl that wouldn't wanna be wooed by him. Yeah, even I would. In fact he is the saving grace of this story. I loved his POV. I found him interesting and could relate to him... and yeah bring on the wooing dude, I would totally cave first minute.
Shay, though I do kinda like her, grated on me. I get her issues- well she rasped on and on and on about it, so there is no missing it. I can't really relate, simply because I have never been in that situation, it's kinda so contrary to my character. But I know it's distinctly possible to be in her situation. I felt really sympathetic for the first 20% then I just felt like she is milking it.
Jackson is sweet, and while I liked him, I found at times that it felt like Siskind is trying to hard to make him a unique character. It felt constructed.
In fact at time the entire support cast felt a wee bit too cliche. But I actually didn't mind it most of the time.
Having said that Shay was annoying, I also have to say, that there were great moments of her character growth. She did make changes that were awesome and I liked that she gradually got her confidence back. So again, I liked parts of the character building and others not so much.

So basically very well written cute & fluffy, that was highly entertaining but a bit too melodramatic at times and a wee bit too drawn out.
Now. The big question is: When is Lily's book coming out?

I had high hopes for this one, the blurb sounds awesome and one of my reading buddies really liked it.
Alas it didn't quite work for me.

And honestly I felt terrible about that. Because this is by no means badly written. Evangelsita's writing style is ok. Same goes for the story line.

But I found it impossible to connect to the MCs. I am not quite sure if this is because it is written in third person. A choice that always makes it harder for the reader to connect.
I just simply felt like I was reading something made-up. I know, I know, this is fictional. But when I read I want to be able to forget that it's someone's idea, I want to be able to connect and I want to believe the story. Sadly I really couldn't do either of these things.
This feel like a TV-series to me. I felt totally detached from everything.
Even when the big dramas happened, all I could think of was, only 10% left to get through...
I found it all too cliche. We have to emotionally unavailable Caleb, who isn't just super hot but also beyond rich, his asshat dad, the super-close little circle of friends... oh and then there is Nathan the token gay.
Didi came across as extremely childish on many occasions.
Her mother seemed flippant. She changed her mind about things like a leave in the wind...
Let me not get started on Amber or JJ.
Simply put I didn't like the character building. There was no depth to start with but also no growth over the story.

While I found the events and the sweet moments quite endearing, it also felt orchestrated. Like someone lined up key moments.
I was not a fan of the dialogues- most of it has been used in way too many romantic movies, the same goes for a lot of the sweet moments.


I wish I would have liked it better. Really I do. I think it has some potential, I am not sure what would safe this however. Then again, thankfully I am just a reader, who can't write to safe her life.

I guess a less picky reader, someone who loves a bit of movie romance will really enjoy this one!