Book review: Attraction by Penny Reid

Attraction by Penny Reid

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Links: Amazon • TBD • Goodreads
Publication Date: April 6, 2015
Source: Freebie

One week.
Private beach.
Invisible girl.
Jerk-faced bully.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Kaitlyn Parker has no problem being the invisible girl, which is why she finds herself hiding in various cabinets and closets all over her college campus. Despite her best efforts, she can’t escape the notice of Martin Sandeke—bad boy, jerkface bully, and the universe’s hottest, wealthiest, and most unobtainable bachelor—who also happens to be Kaitlyn’s chemistry lab partner.

Kaitlyn might be the only girl who isn’t interested in exploiting his stunning rower’s build, chiseled features, and family’s billionaire fortune. Kaitlyn wants Martin for his brain, specifically to tabulate findings of trace elements in surface water.

When Kaitlyn saves Martin from a nefarious plot, Martin uses the opportunity to push Kaitlyn out of her comfort zone: spring break, one week, house parties, bathing suits, and suntan lotion. Can she overcome her aversion to being noticed? Will he be able grow beyond his self-centered nature? Or, despite their obvious chemistry, will Martin be the one to drive Kaitlyn into the science cabinet of obscurity for good?

Let me start off by saying that I was a little apprehensive about reading Attraction since I’ve had some mixed experiences with Penny Reid’s books. I’ve liked some of her Winston Brothers books but Neanderthal Seeks Human really disappointed me. Anyway, this was free for Kindle last spring and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to download it.

Well, I was wrong.

From the start, this book was an incredibly cliche new adult romance. Kaitlyn is your stereotypical awkward new adult heroine (an intelligent virgin who doesn’t realize she’s beautiful and has zero social skills to speak of) and Martin is your stereotypical womanizer (an incredibly wealthy jock known for making women cry). They have your stereotypical interactions and then go on your stereotypical new adult vacation. I feel like I could have a bot read a bunch of new adult books and it would pop this one out. That’s how blatantly obvious literally everything about it was.

I could live with that. Really, I could. New adult can be predictable, but at least it’s usually fun. This book was not fun.

To start, how about the fact that we have a side character who openly admits to drugging women and sleeping with them (newsflash: that’s rape) and it’s never even addressed? Oh, sure, there’s a little “I’ll talk to him about that,” or whatever nonsense Martin says in response, but does he care? No, not really. The fact that this guy is on a team with him trumps any kind of moral obligation he has to do something.

Now, maybe we can talk about how the relationship between Martin and Kaitlyn comes out of absolutely nowhere? Like, one minute they’re purely platonic lab partners who’ve never even exchanged phone numbers and the next, he has his hand up the back of her shirt and they’re making out against a lab table. Like a day later, he’s whisking her away on his fancy private jet to his fancy island home even though he’s a college student. I mean… what.

And the writing? I think this is the only book I’ve ever read where “O.o” was included in the narration. I’m sorry, am I reading something on fanfiction.net or is this a published book? Sure, there were some witty lines and some one-liners that were pretty good, but for the most part, I just cringed.

I’m just disappointed.

#killingthetbr: ten months on shelf

Previously:

• Neanderthal Seeks Human (★★☆☆☆)
• Truth or Beard (★★★★☆)
• Grin and Beard It (★★★☆☆)

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Have you read Attraction? Is it on your TBR?
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