ARC Review of "Love and Other Theories"

Love and Other Theories By Alexis Bass 

Stars: 4 

Source: Edelweiss 

Release Date: December 31st 2014 

Aubrey Housing doesn't fall in love, she doesn't make commitments or put labels on her relationships with boys and she doesn't choose boys over her best friends. Boys come and go but friends are forever. 

Aubrey and her group of friends think of themselves as 'evolved' they aren't those clingy, stereotypical, highschool girls who fall all over the first guy who gives them any attention. They have their 'theories' and they stick to them. 

The theories keep them from getting their hearts broken, from crying in the girls bathroom after the star of the football team dumps you for the new head cheerleader, the theories keep their hearts safe. 

Highschool relationships never last so why invest so much in them? 

It's worked for the past three and a half years, Aubrey hasn't varied from the path of the theories and so far she seems to be doing a lot better than some of the less 'evolved' girls in school.

Highschool is for fun, it's for flings and one night stands and hookups that don't matter, at least that's what Aubrey and her friends think. 

That is until Nathan Diggs walks into Aubrey's life and turns it upside down. Now Aubrey is questioning the theories and all the decisions she's made because of them. 

I really liked the beginning of this book, it was so different from all the other contemporary books out there that I've read, Aubrey and her friends treat 'relationships' like the boys their age treat them and they get away with it. 

They sleep with/makeout with whomever they want, no strings attached and it seems to be working for them, they don't have their hearts broken, they aren't sitting around on a Friday night waiting for a certain boy to call and they aren't jealous of the other girls current boy toy. 

When Nathan enters the story it seems to throw a wrench in the works, Aubrey starts doubting whether or not the theories are still as important as they were at the beginning of highschool but she can't seem to share these doubts with her friends, especially Shelby. 

Shelby was more the queen bee of the story than the main characters best friend. I hated her SO MUCH! She was so manipulative and passive aggressive (read aggressive). 

*SPOILERS AHEAD* 

As I said I liked the beginning, the middle was okay and the ending... Well... 

I felt like there was no character growth, like when I turned the last page all the characters were going to go running off and do the same childish things they were doing when I started the book. 

I hated how Nathan was made to be this 'good guy' a 'closet nerd' who didn't realize how attractive he was and was unsure of what to do with all the attention and in the end, with the help of Aubrey, he turned into the typically self observed, cocky, cheater. 

I'm all for a new take on the contemporary genre, the girl not getting the guy at the end but learning something about herself in the process but this was not that book. 

It felt like it was Pretty Little Liars without the murder... 

Or Mean Girls without the crown being broken into pieces.

That being said I did like the beginning of the book loved Bass' writing style even if it didn't end the way I would've liked, so I will definitely be reading any forthcoming books she releases. 

Until next time, 

Ginger

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.