How To Hook A Hottie

Ferraro, Tina. 2008. How To Hook A Hottie.

Tina Ferraro is the author of Top Ten Uses For An Unworn Prom Dress. A book that I unashamedly loved last year. But I wasn't so head-over-heels for How To Hook A Hottie. Kate just didn't charm me as much as Nicolette. And there is no comparison between Jason Dalrymple "Dal" and Jared. While Jared left me a bit giddy, Dal failed to impress. Now I am NOT for even one minute assuming that your response as a reader will automatically match mine. You may love Kate and Dal. And you may think this book has the essence and charm of a perfectly satisfying YA romance.

The premise. Kate DelVecchio is a senior with a dream. She wants to earn $5,000 before graduation. If she accomplishes this, then her parents will give her the money saved for college and allow her to follow her own dreams instead. Now Kate has never been popular. Not a nerd or outcast by any means, but completely ignorable by social standards that rule the halls of her school. But when a cute jock, Brandon, asks her out. She says yes. Almost as a dare. To see if he really and truly means it. She's not into him. Not really. And she thinks he's not into her...he's just into her good grades. They go on one little date. But the word soon gets out that they're a couple. Then he leaves town for a week or two.

Kate has now been elevated in the social standings. She has seemingly landed one of the cutest guys in her class. And now everyone wants her advice, wants her help. Essentially they want to know "how to hook a hottie." So she goes into a matchmaking business. She's got her project--earning $5,000--in mind the whole time. Her partner in crime is one of her oldest and dearest friends, Jason Dalrymple called "Dal." She needs him for perspective. And she needs him to be the one to find out if the guys (in question) are into the girls (her clients). They split the profits.

Brandon is out of the picture. Dal has a girlfriend. And Kate is living a lie. She's not into Brandon, but people think she is. And she's falling for Dal even though she knows he's supposed to be off limits. She can't admit to him that she likes him, can she? That would be mean to try to come between him and his girl, right?

And the business side of romance isn't all that she thought it would be. I'm going to stop there. Because even though I found it a bit predictable, I don't want to chance spoiling it for others.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews