Review: Can't Beat the Chemistry by Kat Colmer

Book Blurb:

Ionic and covalent bonds are a piece of cake for MJ. But human bonds are a little harder ...

There are only two things MJ wants in her final year of high school:

1) Glowing grades and ...

2) to convince uber-smart, chiselled-jaw Jason they’d be a winning team outside the science lab as well as in.

Tutoring deadbeat drummer, Luke, isn’t part of the plan. After all, he has average intelligence, takes disorganised notes and looks like a partied-out zombie at their study sessions! Not even his taut biceps will win MJ over.

But MJ learns that she could be tutored in a few life lessons too: That sometimes there’s good reason to skip chemistry tutorials. That intelligence is so much more than a grade average.

And that sometimes you can’t beat the chemistry.

Find out more about the book on Goodreads

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Romance, Teen--

MJ has had her whole life mapped out by her intense driven mother and deviating from the intensive plan is not an option. When her brother asks her to help tutor his roommate Luke in chemistry she has no time or interest to waste on him. But after promising her brother and best friend she would help him, she is stuck with the situation. Luke is desperate to prove that he can pass chemistry, even if it means excepting the help of Theo's prickly, hedgehog of a sister. But what started out as a favor turned into something unexpected for them both, but that doesn't mean that it can work.

Say yes, Mackenzie. Because suddenly I’m real keen to get into another tutoring session—one involving a whole different kind of chemistry.

This is very much an opposites attract kind of love story, which is always fun. We have MJ who is this very clinical, borderline OCD girl who has never met a challenge she has not overachieved at- but has no idea how a romantic relationship really works. And then there is mess, distracted, musically inclined Luke who is desperate to pass his chemistry class- even if it means sparring with his roommate's sister over basically everything. I loved the fact this was a slow burn romance, where they started as almost enemies, became friends and then slowly developed romantic feelings. No insta-love here, and I loved that! It also didn't hurt that Luke was such a cutie, with his laid back personality, love for his sister, passion for his studies, and sweetness- he was 100% book boyfriend potential so be prepared to crush. Let's also take a second to mention how Sandy and Theo were the best friend the characters could have ever hoped for and I loved them both!

The one thing I will say is I wonder if some things got lost in the slang terms and I had to battle my through what the characters were talking about and what was going on for the first few chapters. For example, "panel beater", "mid-sem", "tute, and "softies" just to name a few terms that popped up within the first few pages of the book. It was almost like reading a book in a different language (which is still English but set in Australia) and I had to put the pieces together based on context to determine what was actually happening. Once I realized that I was not going to catch the slang for everything I was more able to just enjoy the story.

Overall this is a really cute YA contemporary full of overcoming fears, realizing who you really are and finding love in the unlikeliest place. Kat wrote realistic characters that I rooted for and I look forward for what she writes next!