Book Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

A fresh and fun repackage of Wild Cards, Better Than Perfect launches a romantic new series from NY Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles. 
After 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. So when her older sister comes home after abandoning her ten years earlier, with her hot new stepson in tow, Ashtyn wants nothing to do with either of them. Then she comes up with a plan that would finally give her the chance to leave, 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 get the future she wants?

I'm a sucker for romance. It's really bad. 
I really enjoy Simone Elkeles books. Especially the Perfect Chemistry series. I also read Leaving Paradise, but I didn't like that very much.
I liked this one. It had my favorite trope/cliche: they hate each other but grow to love each other. I love that one. 
The beginning was kind of frustrating to read. The female protagonist, Ashtyn, had a douche for a boyfriend and I had to read through her being all lovey-dovey. 
Then the actual romance began. It was nice, not exactly swoony, but more bonding and angst. A lot of angst. A lot of "Oh no, I shouldn't... but I want to" kind of stuff. The reasoning was slightly understandable but still frustrating for a hopeless romantic like myself that just wants them to get together. 
Derek, the male protagonist, was an interesting character to read and read from his POV. He was also sweet and a nice book hottie. (What do you call guys in books?)
It wasn't great or as good as Perfect Chemistry but it was cute and a quick read. Simone Elkeles is a great writer. I'd recommend it for those who are looking for a nice quick little romance. 

Read: February 2015
My Rating: 4 stars / 5 stars