Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Released: October 20, 2015
Received: ARC from author
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Sometimes I'm in the mood for a cute, fluffy YA romance and that is exactly what Red Girl, Blue Boy gave me. Part of the "If Only" series of standalone romances, this installment focuses on Kat (the Republican candidate's daughter) and Drew (the Democrat candidate's son) and their adorable hate-turned-love-turned-hate-turned love romance.
I was a little worried politics would dominate this book, but Lauren Baratz-Logsted did a stellar job including enough of a political backdrop to make the premise feel relevant, but played it pretty neutral when it came to actual politics. It shouldn't really matter what side of the political spectrum the reader falls on when it comes to enjoying the story.
The chapters alternate between Drew and Kat's first-person narratives and their voices are both distinct and likable. Kat reminded me of Caroline Forbes from The Vampire Diaries or Elle Wood from Legally Blonde. She's an up-beat go-getter who definitely marches to the beat of her own drummer. Her loneliness and disconnect from kids her own age was sad and really made me feel for her. I couldn't help but like her.
Drew was sweet and likable, but I more liked him for how he treated Kat. He was definitely good for her and I was so happy to see him get her and help her out when no one else did. Kat's secret service man was another nice addition and it was sweet seeing the three of them together.
The book isn't perfect, but it fell short in the ways this genre of book always falls short for me. The premise was pretty contrived and unbelievable. The extent of Kat's cluelessness was over the top for the sake of the plot. The staged misunderstandings were obvious and the big save at the end came out of nowhere.
But none of that matters. I don't read these books to scrutinize the plot or character development. I read them to latch onto characters I can enjoy spending a few hours with as I swoon over their will-they-won't-they (they totally will) romance. And for that purpose, Red Girl, Blue Boy definitely delivered.
Looking for something similar?
Forget books, Red Girl, Blue Boy took me back to my favorite teen romantic comedies:
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Oh gosh, I'm obsessed with 10 Things I Hate About You. Hopefully that means I'll love this book? I'll admit, I know you said that politics didn't end up dominating the book, I just find it interesting (and I think ironically relevant given the extreme bipartisanship in today's government) that politics is the backdrop for this romance. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, I'm hosting a giveaway for my belated blogoversary celebration. It's for a $15 Amazon gift card, open internationally. If you want to check it out, here it is:
http://www.whatsyourstorybookreviews.com/2015/10/giveaway-15-amazon-giftcard.html
Yes, these days one would imagine a Republican/Democrat romance to be more Romeo and Juliet (with everyone dead at the end!). Glad to hear this one is lighter-hearted!
ReplyDeleteI get in the same mood sometimes, for fluffy romances. I will have to see if I can pick this one up at the library. I can never find cute romances when I want them
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