Review : The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : The Secrets of Attraction
Author : Robin Constantine
Publication Date : April 28th 2015
Publisher : Balzer + Bray
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Set in the same world as The Promise of Amazing, this smart, surprising, and romantic follow-up to Robin Constantine's debut novel follows two New Jersey teens as they become friends and fall in love. Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Mlynowski, and Jennifer E. Smith.

Madison Pryce thinks she's got everything figured out—she's working on a portfolio for a summer art program and hanging with her friends. Plus she has her hot boyfriend, Zach. But then a visit from a family friend turns Maddie's life upside down.

Jesse McMann is still reeling from a breakup that shattered his heart and his band. Then pride (and some goading from his bass player and fellow barista) forces him to find a new drummer—and the inspiration to write music again.

Kismet arrives in the unlikely form of Grayson Barrett, who tries out for Jesse's band, and whose girlfriend is BFFs with the cute girl who orders a chai latte after yoga every Thursday: Maddie. What Jesse and Maddie thought they knew about the secrets of attraction and the rules of romance changes once they start falling for each other.

Personal Thoughts

When I read Robin Constantine's debut novel, The Promise of Amazing, I was absolutely smitten. I was so excited to see that she had another book set in the same world of The Promise of Amazing coming out. The Secrets of Attraction, for me, was an even stronger novel than the author's debut. It just had the perfect blend of humor, romance and cuteness. This is the kind of book I wouldn't mind spending a warm day at the beach with.

I absolutely loved the characters in The Secrets of Attraction. You're probably going to be tired of hearing this, but they were so adorable. I couldn't help but fall hard for the beautifully crafted characters. For me, what made them so perfect was how flawed they were. Their insecurities and issues made both Jesse and Madison realistic teenagers in many ways. Robin Constatine truly knows how to capture that authentic teenage voice and she did it beautifully through both Jesse and Madison's points of views. I have to say, I absolutely loved getting to be inside both of their heads. Madison, especially, was very well-fleshed out character. I loved getting to know her personality and her passions throughout the book. I also loved how she handled all of the family issues that she had to overcome smartly, without falling prey to dramatics. Jesse, on the hand, was battling with betrayals from two people who he considered close. It was a thing beauty watching Jesse slowly grow throughout the book and finding out what he really wanted out of life.

My favorite part about The Secrets of Attraction was the relationship dynamics. This book had so many positive portrayals of relationships. It just made my heart incredibly happy. The tight female friendship between Madison, Wren and Jaz was probably one of the best parts of this book. I loved how close these girls were and it was truly refreshing to see female friendships depicted in such a tight-knit way. The romantic dynamics in The Secrets of Attraction was also fantastic. In my review for The Promise of Amazing, I mentioned that I was little let down by the fast nature of Wren and Grayson's relationship. However, Robin Constantine nailed it with the pacing in this book. Madison and Jesse started off as friends and I loved watching their relationship slowly blossom over the course of the book. It was sweet, realistic and had my heart fluttering. The romance in this book was the epitome of what I look for in cute YA contemporaries.

Robin Constatine's sophomore novel was an adorable YA romance book with lots of focus on friendship and family. Fans of slow burn romances, you want this book!


Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5




Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the e-ARC of The Secrets of Attraction.

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