Wild Cards
(Wild Cards, #1)
By: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: Oct. 1, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Rating:
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. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, 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 win it all?
So you’ve heard of books that revolve around a romance between step-siblings but what about a guy and his step-aunt? Yup, you read that right but it’s not what you think. You see, Derek’s father recently robbed the cradle when it came to choosing a his new wife. So when his father is deployed, his step-mom decides to give up their house and move back home during the deployment. However, when Derek gets kicked out of boarding school, he has to pack up and go with her to meet his step-family for the first time. That’s when he meets his step-aunt, Ashtyn.
I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Ashtyn has been playing football since freshman year and she’s really good at it. She’s also the only chick on the football team. So of course, life isn’t easy for her. She gets hazed a lot when it comes to other teams. After all, when it comes to football, a women’s place is to be on the sidelines with pom-poms in her hands. So the fact that she earns the never ending respect of her teammates and coach says a lot. However, she still has to show the colleges and scouts that she is just as good as any of the guys out there.
Derek is you typical broken bad-boy. Since his mother’s passing, he’s been spiraling out of control. He gave up everything that he was working for and turned to causing trouble at his boarding school, which in turn ends up with expulsion. One thing that I would was interesting is that he was a very strange health nut. Spinach banana smoothies for breakfast, no prepackaged foods, no high fructose corn syrup, his body is his temple and he treats it as such. For some reason, the way he portrays himself is so against his eating habits. I don’t know why I gravitated to that part of him so much but I did. He definitely had some quirks that counteracted his impulsiveness.
“My grandson is a wild card. I can’t keep up with him. One day he’s moving to Texas, the next he’s going back to California. For all I know he’ll end up here in Chicago.”
The story is predictable but I definitely enjoyed it. It was fun to read through the drama and watch the two of them come out on top. Not to mention the story was pretty hilarious. The author definitely has a sense of humor and incorporates that beautifully in the story. I found myself chuckling at a lot of parts in the book. I will definitely be keeping up with this series.
“Seriously, Ashtyn, I bet my left nut you wouldn’t even notice if I got your dog fixed.”
“Your left nut?” I ask. “Why not your right one? Guys never say they’ll bet their right nut, only their left. Why is that?”
“Because all guys know their right nut is the dominant one, so bettin’ the left one is a safe choice.”
I’ve seen mixed reviews about this one, I’m glad you like it. I have a copy and I need to read it soon 🙂
I love Simone Elkeles’s books so I’m excited to try this one. Great review!
LOL the left nut bit made me snort. I’ve been seeing this one and still thinking on it. Definitely a different set up. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Yeah, seems like most people think this one is just okay. But I am happy to see you liked it a little bit more.
This book is on my TBR pile but for some reason it isn’t really calling out for me to read it. I love that it is about a female football player but other than that nothing sounds too amazing about it. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Great review!